Yohji Yamamoto Exhibit at V&A...Brilliant!

Photograph by Koichi Inakoshi - Source V&A museum blog

Last weekend I arranged for one of my meetup groups to see the Yohji Yamamoto exhibit on it's opening day. What a feeling I have to admit, as I waited for our time to view 30 years of ingenuity up close and personal. But while waiting, who would have known that lecturers get into exhibits free of charge? My day got brighter and it was right then I knew it was going to be a great experience.

The exhibit was brilliant! Once you were able to get pass the body guards and interns, you entered a one room exhibit dressed out in mannequins, formed in semi-circles around the room to the left; red piping and video screens with headset to the right. What I initially thought would take me all of 30 minutes to view; was soon realized to be at least an hour (realistically 2 hours if you take your time to take in each piece of clothing, each video and each book on display).

Photograph by Ronald Stoops: Source V&A Museum blog

The look of the exhibit was very Yohji. As if he were the designer himself -- very modern and minimalistic in set-up, yet cocktail style for easy hands on viewing, encouraging you to have a walk around and mingle with each display. From secretly admiring each stitch of one of your favourite designs, to actually taking a moment to have a short read of his autobiography, My Dear Bomb or watch his entire A/W 1998 men's wear fashion week show. Fantastic!

Yohji is definitely one of my favorite designers, in all honesty not so much for the designs themselves but more so for the attitude he takes towards making a difference and challenging our opinions and rules on what men and women should wear, along with his marketing creativity and the more. He is diligent, perfectionist yet patient. He takes one new venture at a time with precision to capture the attention of new and existing fans. From designer to author, I definitely walked away from this exhibit feeling inspired and motivated. Yet with a sense of calmness to envision it, write it, work on it, then wait for its opportunity to shine. But most of all do it my way.

If your interested in the vision and development of this exhibit, please have a read of the V&A blog featuring, Ligaya Salazar, Curator of Contemporary Programmes and of the Yohji Yamamoto exhibit.  

In addition, there are a range of short courses, seminars and talks taking place whilst this exhibit is in house. They look excellent, so if you have time to be a part of the Yohji Yamamoto experience than join in. I know I will. 

Ciao fellow Fashionologist.