Y's Fall/Winter 2019 - Tokyo Fashion Week

(Images from the designer and the public domain. Credited to the photographer/company where applicable.  Now Fashion)

In 2009 Yohji Yamamoto filed for bankruptcy protection, amidst the credit blowup in 2008, when the so called financial crisis wreaked havoc across an heavily indebted world.  Corporate and the otherwise bore the brunt.  Now, in our post expansive world of bubble economics, the debt restructuring, write-offs and buyouts - with cheap money pouring out of banks, Venture Capitalists and asset funds, have maintained the designer name relevancy. As the consumers came back in earnest in the last ten years, particularly China, buying up high end clothing at an astounding rate throughout boutiques from around the world. 

After 5 years of an absence on the runway, Yamamoto has brought Y's back as a focused runway collection rather than studio set pieces.  This is a milestone in the sense, as he holds control of his main signature brand, whilst in collaboration with Adidas (Y3) with a renewed invigoration of Y's.  Collectively seen as a team effort with other Japanese designers, to further expand investment onto newer markets.  But, of course this in turn will be an added pressure of preforming to that market's desire.

Y's was Yamamoto first brand, credited in 1977 as an original concept and this is where I find, generally, the Unisex tag slightly misleading, especially as it works pretty much one way, as seen with Haider Ackermann's Fall 2019 an his descriptive show notes, was the showing of celebrating men's looks on women, to which was the reasons for Y's early manifestation and Yamamoto's intention, is to have the feminine embrace masculine styles. Y's, as a women's collection continues to maintain Yamamoto's imprint within the stylized platform of draped masculine looks are set onto the female models.

Y's Fall/Winter 'ZENTHE' 2019 collection is flawless. Now directly collaborating with a Japanese company that bought an Italian textile producer, the quality of materials used is strikingly obvious, with the cuts and presentation of looks.  Yamamoto and his team have revealed an array of styles for the brand that exude a sleek and devised professionalism.  Holding down the aesthetics of the last 30yrs whilst maintaining the relevance as a discipline.

Mostly wool ensembles, finely weaved with tweed techniques throughout, with some crushed linen in/overlays.  All layered and beautifully portrayed on the models.  The styles maintain their sensuality and mystique, that Yamamoto has crafted over the years and fixed as his main template in the creation of his styles. There are some industrial styled concepts infused within this Fall collection. Utilizing the rugged post-construction looks of past runway shows of other brands, which have ironically been inspired by degrees of the Y'3 aspect. So it seems fitting that Yamamoto who is the signature holder on the Y'3 collaboration, also extract ideas back from the corporate brand and infuse them onto his own label. 

The color palette remains as a post-industrial spectrum of darkened greens and khaki, browns and dark blues – portrayed with complimentary styles such as plaid and other muted geometric paintwork. There is a raw tone to this collection, as silver insulation radiates and yellow is set against the achromatic of black, it represents an austere sentiment intertwined within Y's overdue runway collection.