Yukio Ninagawa and Seven Menswear Designers
The extraordinary talent of the theater world, Yukio Ninagawa, has developed a great interest in the world of fashion, and it is said that in late May he will be directing a fashion show. With that being the case, we thought we would have him immerse himself thoroughly in that world. We arranged for him to meet seven menswear designers and had him wear their latest creations.
"Several years ago, I was feeling depressed. I had come to dislike the clothes I had been wearing up until then, and was looking for something to wear that would fit the mood I was in at that time. I went around several boutiques, searching for something. What I eventually chose were clothes bearing the label ‘Y's for men.’ I bought three jackets. In other words, first there was my own state of mind, and then I wore clothes as an expression of it. Eventually, I learned that those jackets were designed by Yohji Yamamoto.
Fashion has gone beyond the concept of clothing as it had existed up until now and has become a new form of expression. It seems to me that this is no longer something to be dealt with in the household pages of a newspaper, but something that ought to be dealt with in the arts and culture pages. Of course, I do not mean that there should be some kind of hierarchy within culture. But I want to emphasize the enormous significance of the fact that this is a new form of expression. Outstanding designers are doing work equivalent to that of Duchamp, Warhol, and the outstanding figures of contemporary art.
The excellent works of Kenzo Takada, Kansai Yamamoto, Issey Miyake, Yohji Yamamoto, and others always make me feel this way."
Yohji Yamamoto — Y's for men
“When I saw the body of work by Mr. Yohji Yamamoto of Y's for men, I was astonished by how extraordinary it was.
I was allowed to wear the pieces made for the show in Paris, but I can only deeply regret that I myself had destroyed what was so extraordinary about those works. When I wear them, they become almost like a clown's costume. But I think I should honestly confess here that I felt jealousy toward Mr. Yohji Yamamoto's talent.
Those works, with their graceful, delicate, and mysterious silhouettes, brought to mind for me the word stigmata (‘sacred imprint’).”
Stole jacket (¥49,000), Shirt (¥29,000), Trousers (¥26,000), Shoes (¥42,000) — All Y's for men, from the Autumn / Winter 1983–84 collection.
Dress-up: Invited Guests
From the regular-reader cards of Mr. High Fashion, we selected readers living in and around Tokyo. Then, without delay, the editorial department sent out invitations saying, ‘Please come out wearing your favorite clothes.’ As expected, everyone arrived having put together simple outfits.
Masayoshi Yagi (23) — Bunka Fashion College (first page, second from right)
“The jacket is by Y's for men. The white cotton shirt is by Comme des Garçons Homme. The linen trousers and combination-material shoes are by Monsieur Nicole.”
Tsukasa Ōishi (23) — Freelancer (first page, middle)
“The blouson is from last year's Y's for men. The checked shirt is by TUBE. The vest is by Parvish. The trousers are secondhand clothes from Santa Monica. The shoes are by KISSA for Men. The belt is by Jumper.”
Seigo Sugiyama (20) — Toyō Art School (second page, left)
“The black blouson is from this season's Comme des Garçons Homme. The shirt is by MEN'S BIGI. The black trousers are from last year. The shoes are by KISSA for Men.”
Japanese Making Their Mark
Cameras, watches, electrical appliances, automobiles… The popularity of Japanese-made products is now growing at a tremendous rate. And finally, fashion, too, has begun to establish roots in Paris, the home of fashion, and has begun a full-scale advance. At present, the number of boutiques belonging to Japanese designers has already exceeded ten, even by a rough count.
Among them, the only person to open a boutique specializing exclusively in menswear is Yohji Yamamoto, with his boutique ‘Yohji Yamamoto Pour Homme.’ Its location is Rue du Dragon in Saint-Germain-des-Prés. Although the space is not particularly large, it sufficiently conveys his esprit.
The shop opened on February 1, and already, Parisians who know fashion thoroughly have taken notice of his clothes and begun wearing them. Clothes in monochromatic tones, characteristic of Yohji, are coordinated against the white walls, waiting for Parisians to come.
