Y-3 Ready To Wear Spring Summer 2013 New York
A 10th anniversary celebration indeed. Yohji Yamamoto was swarmed with friends and well-wishers following his Y-3 collection for Adidas on Sunday (Hugs! Kisses! Camera flashes!). And with good reason. This was a marvelous collection chock full of exciting, energetic and fabulous pieces that will easily adapt into any wardrobe. “Fashion is too cheap now,” Yamamoto said backstage. “What I’m presenting is my vision for the new street fashion. It’s a bit the act of walking backward into the future.” And boy did the collection have legs.
Set against a multi-color digital projection mapping grid (artist Devan Harlan's 3-D projections that transformed the St. John's Center) and to music composed by Jiro Amimoto, it was amazing to see the power three white stripes could bring. It wasn’t so much that the clothes were complicated—we are talking about athletic/performance wear, after all—but the aesthetic was new territory for the brand. Eye-bending graphic prints, designed by Mr. Hayashi, the imperial printmaker to the Japanese royal family (who also designed the now-iconic hibiscus print found in Y-3's debut 2003 collection).
He took the classics and put a slanted twist on it all. A high-low effect was evident via the fronts of jackets and tops that were sliced off, juxtaposed with contrasting colors. Oversized shorts abound—skorts, really—as well as pantaloons. The collection was really quite sophisticated—tennis dresses, jersey shirts with tiered ruffles and mesh swing dresses were all shown to stunning effect. For the closer, the garments got a bit more complicated in terms of fabric manipulation—with oversized abstract floral motifs in acid-bright hues almost haphazardly screened on. While volume was clearly an area Yamamoto explored for spring, there was a feminizing of the silhouette and an emphasis placed on the waist.
Taking it all in from the front row was David Beckham, whose sports career has long been supported by Adidas.
“I think it’s wonderful that Adidas had the vision to pair up with someone like Yohji,” said the soccer star, who made a surprise cameo. “It’s the perfect fusion of sport and fashion. Absolutely pioneering.”
- Jim Shi