Yohji Yamamoto went digital for Fall/Winter 2021. He substituted his usual runway by a 23-minute video of 33 looks. Models walked woefully down a carpeted runway draped in the finest all-black attire with serious, downcast expressions. Mournful yet hopeful. Cheerless yet optimistic. That’s the dichotomy of Yamamoto who so expertly weaves polarity into his works, incorporating the antique with the modern.
In program: punk romantic, with nods to 19th-century silhouettes and 21st-century streetwear.
As with most of his collections, this season’s infinite journey was through a palette of mostly black, red and white.
A cap sleeve gown with asymmetrical front detailing represented the beauty of simplicity, perhaps a commentary on the times we currently find ourselves in having abandoned opulence of yesteryear for a less complicated, more stationary lifestyle. Deconstructed jackets and tailcoats had zippers and free-floating panels creating shape and volume. An oversized black blazer was in tune with the must-have coat trend of the moment. Instead of buttons, however, Yamamoto opted for a supersized safety pin. The look was paired with hiking boot-like footwear – another trend box checked in Yamamoto fashion. The simple silhouettes were embellished with wires and chains as an announcement of an upcoming Yohji Yamamoto accessory line. In the spirit of streetwear, pants came with busted out holes, and artful coats splatter-painted or graffitied.
