Y3 men’s Fall 2018 – Paris Fashion Week

 (Images from Vogue.com.  All rights.  Used in promotion of the designer.)

The question of duality or dualism with Yohji Yamamoto  is portrayed once again within his new Y3 Fall 2018 collection.  But, as noted, in my review of Yamamoto’s Paris Fall 2018 Men’s, it is seen more as a tense perspective in its collaboration between the fashion designer and the conglomerate which is the brand Adidas.   One, being the mastery and significance of Yohji Yamamoto as a designer, the other being an entity, a company structure that has no individual bases for creativity.   Yet will partner with fashion designers as selling points and offer widespread distribution, as opposed to an exclusive signature designer brand.  Hence Y3, in fashion at this point in time you couldn’t have a more dualistic paring.  I have been reviewing Y3 shows for over five years and I have seen the subtle, sometimes blunt, tug-a-war with the Yamamoto styles inter-fused with the Adidas patent stripes and at times the possible directional influences on Y3’s seasonal collections.

A company as massive as Adidas will source trends, but usually they’re behind to what occurs on the street.  With social media a mishmash of confusion.  It’s rarely achieved in real time.  It is only later they may pick up on a trend and then promote and sold under its ‘fashion’ entity.  A duplication en masse.  Footwear is the main asset of Adidas and hence where the majority of its connected pathways to various fashion designers and/or celebrities.  This is battle of the ‘sports shoe’ giants with each major brand jostling to release the next big thing in footwear.  Over time this may have less to do with the ‘designer signature’ attached, but more focused on the technological side.  Such as the experimental release and promotion of 4D printed shoes (shoes that expand and contract via heat i.e they can self mold around an object) via the  Yohji Yamamoto’s Y3 collection.  With the senior vice president of global design of Adidas Originals attending the press at the Y3’s Fall 2018 show.

Yohji Yamamoto’s variances have been salient with these Fall 2018 shows, which can also seen with his Y3 collection, with the of merging yellow with black, which is one of the most appropriate colors to use against  black (as a contrast) but only in certain degrees, as seen on a massive wrap around woolen style scarf, bangs and beanies.  Maintaining Yamamoto’s black and white draped and layered looks, seen with his uniquely cut long sleeve jacket hoddies.  Dark blue nylon mountaineering  inspired vests, jackets and coats.  Although it all has been viewed before in past shows, they remain stalwart under the Y3 banner.   Raw looking black, with white fleeced lining, jackets and track pants.  There are all white assembles, with pattern flowers pieces which sit within the large collection for Adidas.  A sleek and neatly cut collection.  With Yamamoto’s signature and the Y3 emblem displayed prolifically on various outfits, with the three stripes of the Adidas logo splashed around in its noticeable characteristic.  As mentioned, it visually feels like an aesthetic dualism between the two giants.  With one being of the human value.