Launched in 1981, Yohji Yamamoto’s namesake label is a higher-priced offshoot of his original Y’s line. Never conventionally sexy or trendy (Cathy Horyn of the New York Times has said, “Mr. Yamamoto likes to dissolve sartorial boundaries”), Yamamoto appeals to clients who appreciate wit, romance, and fashion history. Although his palette is somber, he’s never funereal; there’s too much off-kilter joie de vivre in the floppy, flowing, sensual fabrics to bring down the mood. His menswear, launched in 1984, evinces the same gallery-friendly grandeur as his womenswear, apparent in the dark, textured jackets and voluminous trousers. The ahead-of-the-curve, gender-bending label is critically lauded, and it’s lucrative too; the designer was given a nod from Japan’s Ministry of Economy in 2005 for executing a model brand. Flagships have become an international enterprise, with outposts in Tokyo, Paris, London, and New York. In addition to the “more everyday” (read: slightly less expensive) original Y’s line, which was launched in 1972 and continues to showcase heavy knits and parkas, there’s also his collaborative label with Adidas (Y-3), Y’s Red Label (designed by Michiko Suzuki), Limi Feu (eponymously designed by Yamamoto’s daughter), a lower-priced diffusion line called Coming Soon, and a luggage line with Mandarina Duck, called Y’s Mandarina.

Status

Established

Clients

Donna Karan, Gwen Stefani, Elton John

Sibling Labels

Y-3

Other Product Lines

Eyewear, Fragrances, Home, Handbags, Shoes

Collaborations

Yohji Yamamoto's collaborative line with Adidas, Y-3 (2002 to Present), Yohji Yamamoto for Mandarina Duck (2006 to Present)

Owned By

Yohji Yamamoto

Address

T33 2-2-43 Higashi-Shinagawa
Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo, Japan
81-03-5463-1501

Where To Buy

Yohji Yamamoto, Barneys New York, Bergdorf Goodman

Related Websites

• Style.com: Yohji Yamamoto (Media)
• Yohji Yamamoto (Official)
• Wikipedia: Yohji Yamamoto (Other)
• WWD: Yohji Yamamoto (Media)
• The New York Times Topics: Yohji Yamamoto (Media)