While Yohji Yamamoto’s menswear often draws the spotlight, it’s in his womenswear where his design philosophy becomes most intimate, introspective, and poetic.
“I wanted to protect the woman’s body … maybe from men’s eyes or a cold wind.” Yohji’s womenswear stands in defiance of conventional Western femininity, favoring “mannish” and androgynous silhouettes with oversized draping, asymmetry, and wabi-sabi.
He resists the obvious, diverting attention from traditional markers of sexuality and instead draws the eye to subtler expressions of beauty. For Yohji, beauty lives in the nape of the neck or the curve of the back.
His Autumn Winter 2006 womenswear collection stripped away frills, ribbons, and bows, opting for minimalist tailoring with a masculine edge. Models wore sharply defined silhouettes and garments built with clean lines and structural integrity, elongating the form of the wearer.
These felted, high-waisted pants from Look 13 of the runway feature oversized pockets and a belted waist.
