Yohji Yamamoto

Yohji Yamamoto. Japanese fashion designer based in Tokyo and Paris, is another very successful and talented designer of today. His work might be described as avant-garde, and most certainly 'unfashionable,' since his designs seem to embody an aesthetic that we are not yet used to seeing. I might say his designs are minimalist, or perhaps eastern/oriental, though there may certainly be some overlap amongst those two descriptors, as you might find many Asian designers carrying a similar design quality in their work. Either way, Yamamoto has a very particular style that is not seen nearly as often as it should in many designers. Yamamoto manages to make a mostly black palette look refreshing and important, while incorporating beautiful draping and tailoring to look polished and clean. Still, the uneven hems, boxy and drapey silhouettes, and contrasting colors make for an exciting, incredibly modern, and completely untouchable collection.

These designs are from various Yohji Yamamoto collections over the past few years, including his most recent Paris Fall/Winter 09-10 collection. How cool is he??