First seen on the Autumn Winter 2013 runway, Yohji Yamamoto mocked the formal tone of Japanese business culture while expressing appreciation to his runway team with playful writing that read: “Thank you as always for your support. Swatch AW. Swatch 2014.”
The use of stiff, polite business language undercut by the repeated and slightly nonsensical “Swatch”feels at once sincere and ironic, typical of Yohji’s dry humor.
In late 2022, this handwritten text returned as part of a four-piece capsule in the Autumn Winter 2022 collection, featuring surreal, relatable quotes such as “I want to return to my hometown in glory,” “What’s your name,” and “Ahhhhhh I wanna go to Paris.”
This beautiful silk-wool blend cardigan from the AW22 capsule features a knit of a shrimp alongside a handwritten quote, “Everyone quit… It’s kinda lonely, though.” rendered on an oatmeal-colored base.
While the exact origin and meaning of the phrase remain unclear, it reflects a quiet modern melancholy and the fragmented, candid way we communicate today.
