Yohji Yamamoto at the V&A - Exhibition (London, UK)

When Yohji Yamamoto mania first hit London a few months ago, I posted about two of the installations hosted by The Wapping Project (Yohji's Women and Yohji Making Waves), which you can read about here. The main event however was the actual Yohji Yamamoto exhibition at the V&A - and if you're a Londoner or a London tourist who hasn't seen it yet, I'd strongly urge you to go, as it closes this week. Like most exhibits I've visited at the V&A so far (including the Grace Kelly showcase), the main presentation was confined to a relatively small area in Room 38. On display were over 60 of Yamamoto's pieces along with a multimedia timeline, revealing the designer's wider creative output. Unlike most exhibitions however, the pieces weren't grouped chronologically, as Yamamoto often cited his works as being timeless rather than seasonal. While some mannequins were arranged in groups, these clusters acted as subtle pointers to a certain theme, such as layering or androgyny to name a few.

But the biggest difference about the exhibit is probably the fact that visitors were invited to walk among the designs and could freely touch or examine the garments, which weren't hidden behind glass panels or barriers. It made sense considering Yamamoto's love of textures, fabrics and volume - and it definitely added to the appreciation of his techniques.

A few Yohji pieces on display in the main exhibition space (left) and the multimedia timeline along the wall (right).

While Room 38 featured the bulk of the collection, the beauty of this exhibition was the addition of various satellite spaces, which showcased Yamamoto's work among V&A's permanent displays. In a way, this presentation almost proved to be more interesting given the surroundings and the way the clothing's textures and silhouettes mirrored the various tapestries, paintings or other works of art.

Though I did manage to snap a photo of every piece on display, I'll only post a selection here. The exhibition ends this Sunday, but if you don't get a chance to go, I'd highly recommend picking up this companion book.

Main Exhibition Space

Fine examples of pleating and other small details, such as button embroidery or exposed seams. Far left: Navy pleated skirt & integrated blue shirt, SS03. Far right: Black halter-neck with pleat detail SS05.

Long turquoise dress with open back and netting, FW96/97.

A few menswear looks - from left: Tartan shirt with integrated scarf-wrap, FW07/08; Coat with embroidered stars, FW06/07; Red dress coat, FW07/08 and Inside Out long jacket with embroidered back, FW09/10.

Left: Jacket, top and rotating polka dot skirt, FW07/08. Right: Checkered strapless top & skirt with crinoline, SS99.

From left: Deconstructed punk-inspired coat with zips, cropped top and cropped trousers, SS94; Long dress with top made of triangular patches gathered by metal chains, SS04; Cage corset, oversized jacket with kimono sleeves & long skirt, FW06/07.

From left: Pin-striped sleeveless suit jacket with unfinished seams, beaded date-jime kimono belt & blue yuzen-dyed skirt with floral print, SS02; Kimono-style draped dress with shibori-dyed detail, SS95; Asymmetric dress with yuzen-dyed multi-colored motifs, SS02.

Left: Yellow strapless silk dress & oversized coolie hat covered with draped silk, SS97. Right: White shirt-dress with long train & broderie anglaise ruffle detail at the back, SS07.

From left: Floral green, blue & orange velvet suit, black shirt with integrated bow, FW03/04; Multi-color printed suit, SS11; Floral pattern suit with metal flower brooches, FW98/99; Green coat with knitted front panel & 3/4-length trousers with purple piping, FW07/08.

From top left: Dress with structured cubic top & arm details, FW90/91; Asymmetric felt dress with crinoline, FW90/91; Sleeveless pleated dress in homage to Madame Grès, SS05; Boiled wool jacket with gathered front & long skirt, FW09/10; Tartan fringed jacket & hound's tooth check fringed skirt, FW03/04; Long-sleeved jumper & knitted skirt, FW98/99.

From left: Long asymmetric shirt-dress, SS05; Long zipped dress with open back & embroidered pattern cutting details, SS00; Satin suit with suspenders, SS99.

Left center: Ruffled cape & dress with crinoline in homage to Cristóbal Balenciaga, SS99. In the background: Tweed jacket & skirt with gathered waist, SS08/09; Hound's tooth check jacket with puffed lower sleeves & long skirt in homage to Dior. Right: Wool jumper over gray layered dress with exaggerated hip crinoline & toque hat, SS99.

Satellite Spaces

In the Hinze Sculpture Gallery: Jacket with quilting, FW09/10; Jacket with white embroidery, SS09; Suit jacket with lace back, SS09. Lower right: Overview of the space with all three jackets.

In the Norfolk House Music Room: Dress with open back & black skirt & dress with high collar, both FW96/97.

In the Paintings Gallery: Long sleeveless dress in homage to Pina Bausch, SS92.

In the Tapestry Gallery: Two long red coats with netting, long black gathered dresses with front pockets & black mesh tops; Black buttoned coat with netting. All from FW95/96.

In the British Galleries Landing: A selection of white shirts, dark suits & black dresses/skirts, all impeccably tailored for the woman, yet androgynous in shape (ranging from SS98 - SS05).

In the Ceramics Gallery: Coat, scarf & jumper with manga characters and trousers, FW07/08; Utility jacket & trousers, FW03/04; Screen-printed shirt & blue denim with white painted stripe, SS02.

History of Contemporary Fashion Exhibition: 1990-2010 (Paris, France)

As some may remember, a while ago I blogged about the first part of the History of Contemporary Fashion Exhibition (aka 'Histoire idéale de la mode contemporaine'), which covered the 70s and 80s. Hosted by the 'Musée des Arts Décoratifs', the showcase featured the more iconic styles of eras long forgotten by some. The second part of this installation, which was presented this Spring, might be a little closer to heart for most though, considering the pieces presented, stem from very recent history. Curated once again by Olivier Saillard, the journey through the 90s and 2000s took a look at key designers who revolutionized the fashion world and runway shows with their unique voice, whether it was the Japanese heavyweights Issey Miyake, Yohji Yamamoto and Rei Kawakubo - or subsequently the Belgian designers who followed in their footsteps: Martin Margiela, Ann Demeulemeester or Veronique Branquinho. Then there were the newcomers such as Alexander McQueen or Hussein Chalayan, not to mention the designers who gave established fashion houses a breath of fresh air: Galliano for Dior, Ford for Gucci, Lagerfeld for Chanel, Elbaz for Lanvin and Ghesquière for Balenciaga.

The key look from the exhibition poster: Maison Martin Margiela blazer.

As with all exhibitions, it was impossible for the curator to feature every designer from recent history. So while some may question the lack of American talent (with the exception of Tom Ford) or omissions which included Jil Sander, who ruled 90s minimalism, - or fellow female creatives such as Stella McCartney and Phoebe Philo to name a few - it was definitely still a very well laid-out and expansive presentation. At times it was a bit odd to see pieces, which had so recently graced the runway or appeared in boutique windows, displayed in a museum setting. But if anything, it's a nice reminder that even collections of the recent past, already deserve a place in fashion history.

Apologies if some of the images aren't of the best quality. The lighting wasn't ideal for photography.


Maison Martin Margiela

Veronique Branquinho

Ann Demeulemeester


Dries van Noten


Junya Watanabe / Issey Miyake


Comme des Garçons


Yohji Yamamoto


Azzedine Alaïa


Helmut Lang


Prada


Lanvin par Claude Montana


Hussein Chalayan


Alexander McQueen

A dress from SS04, which was almost impossible to capture.

Christian Dior par John Galliano

Click here to see the rest of the exhibit, which includes Vivienne Westwood, Chanel, Lanvin, Balenciaga and more.

Future Beauty: 30 Years of Japanese Fashion - Exhibition (London, UK)

Before I bombard you with all the fashion treasures I uncovered in Reykjavik, I thought I'd share a post that's so long overdue, I wasn't sure if I should still bother blogging about it. But since this was one of the best fashion exhibitions I've seen to date and the subject matter is quite timeless, I thought it might be worth sharing. The 'Future Beauty: 30 Years of Japanese Fashion' exhibition, which most Londoners may be familiar with, was hosted by the Barbican Art Gallery and showcased avant-garde Japanese fashion from the early 80s to now. Along with visionaries such as Issey Miyake, Yohji Yamamoto and Rei Kawakubo, who challenged the Western fashion aesthetic and redefined it for the world, the new generation of designers such as Tao Kurihara and Mintdesigns is featured as well.

As the first gallery in Europe to extensively highlight contemporary Japanese fashion, I thought that both the Barbican and Japanese fashion historian/curator Akiko Fukai did an excellent job. What I enjoyed most (apart from the clothing) was the layout, which not only saw the numerous pieces divided and grouped in a large space surrounded by sheer fabric draped from the ceiling, but also followed an order that for once wasn't chronological. The ground floor had a thematic approach, with four categories that included 'In Praise of Shadows', 'Flatness', 'Innovation and Tradition' as well as 'Cool Japan'. The top floor presented the main Japanese designers separately and also featured additional material such as runway videos, inspirational literature and other memorabilia.

For anyone who wasn't able to attend the exhibition (which unfortunately is no longer running), I'd highly recommend getting the official book by Akiko Fukai, which can be purchased via Amazon here (and it's even on sale!). It follows the basic structure of the exhibition, but includes plenty more background information and photography. Definitely a must-read for any fashion lover.

Below you'll find a few highlights from the exhibit (and book), categorized as described above. Don't forget to click the link, to read more after the jump.

In Praise of Shadows

This section reveals the love for monochromatic shades adopted by Japanese designers, which allow a focus on details and textures, rather than color. According to Fukai, the color palette stems from the cultural sensibility attuned to light and shade, as well as the power of black.

Pieces by Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garçons, Yohji Yamamoto and Jun Takahashi.

More black artworks by Rei Kawakubo and Yohji Yamamoto.

Flatness

This category showcased the love and contrast of both flatness and volume. During a time when Western fashion was dominated by bodycon garments, the Japanese were fascinated by creating space between fabric and body - an expression of 'ma', a Japanese concept that views voids between objects as rich, energized spaces. Commissioned by Rei Kawakubo, photographer Naoya Hatakeyama's works reveal the geometric shapes and 'flatness' of Kawakubo's garments when unworn.

Issey Miyake's famous Pleats series created extraordinary outlines which had an abstract relationship with the body.

Rei Kawakubo's voluminous gowns in contrast with their 'flatness' (courtesy of Naoya Hatakeyama) when unworn.

Innovation and Tradition

Modern Japanese design also saw the complete reinvention of traditional garments and techniques, such as the kimono and origami, as well as the integration of traditional patterns in contemporary pieces.

These incredible Issey Miyake pieces showed how garments were created from just one piece of long fabric.

The use of structural origami inspired techniques as used by Yohji Yamamoto (top left), Junya Watanabe (lower row) and the beautiful gold dress by Koji Tatsuno.

Rei Kawakubo's use of Japanese iconography, embroidery and layering for Comme des Garçons.

Traditional patterns and structures reinvented by (starting left) Kenzo, Matohu, Yohji Yamamoto and Tao Kurihara.

Cool Japan

The final section on the lower level presented the young wave of designers influenced primarily by Japanese streetstyle and the crop of independent labels that defined the look in the Harajuku area. In addition to the use of manga and cartoon characters, the showcase lightly touches on the cosplay (costume play) phenomenon, as well as the Lolita and Gothic Lolita styles which have made their mark on Japanese high fashion.

This colorful area featured manga and other cartoon inspired designs. Pieces by Ohya, Zucca and Junya Watanabe.

Looks by Jun Takahashi for Undercover (top). A playful dress with a 'doll' collar by Fumito Ganryu (lower left) and a frilly number by Tao Kurihara for Tao Comme des Garçons.

The second part of the exhibition, which focuses on individual designers (including Yohji Yamamoto, Rei Kawakubo, Issey Miyake, Junya Watanabe and more), can be viewed after the jump.

Yohji Making Waves / Yohji's Women (London, UK)

The Wapping Hydraulic Power Station.

If you're in London, you may have noticed that the city is presently celebrating all things Yohji Yamamoto. In addition to the newly opened Y-3 flagship store, one of the most talked about happenings is the series of exhibitions that was unveiled last month in honor 0f the iconic Japanese designer. The main feature is the retrospective currently held at the V&A museum, which I'll be posting about as well. However, I thought I'd start backwards (in the order I actually visited these exhibits) and begin with the other two parts of the series first which are now on display, courtesy of The Wapping Project.

Yohji Making Waves

First off, I'd like to thank Google Maps (iPhone) for giving me very accurate directions to this place - the large Boiler House of the Wapping Hydraulic Power Station - which lies somewhat off the beaten path. Now that I know where it is, I might go back though, because the first thing I saw once I entered the spacious interiors was a very cool-looking bar/restaurant. This is also where I caught my first glimpse of Yohji magic, in the form of the FW98 runway show which was running on several TV screens towards the back of the room.

Inside the power station, the restaurant area was decorated with TV screens featuring Yamamoto's runway shows.

The actual installation was in a separate room and showcased only one major piece: the celebrated , oversized white silk wedding dress with bamboo crinoline from the aforementioned FW98 collection. Suspended upside down from huge metal tanks which form the roof of the Boiler House, the gown seemingly falls towards a bottomless tank of water below. Once I entered this area, it was like stepping into another world. Immersed in the dark - with the exception of the illuminated dress in the center and the sparse lighting towards one wall - I was greeted only by the sound of dripping water and ambient noise from the speakers, in addition to the reflection, shadows and movements of the gown interacting with the light and water.

The wedding dress as seen in its normal upright position.

I took most of these photos from the platform, but a small wooden boat will enable a closer look of the piece if required (a boatman is included). According to the official description of the installation - "This is a calm, contemplative work which should also disarm and amuse, bringing together a sense of fun and juxtaposing it with an austere beauty. Paradox lies at the heart of Yohji Yamamoto's clothes and it is with this striking installation that we attempt to do justice to his vision."

The gown on display inside the flooded Boiler House, suspended from the ceiling.

Close-up of the dress.

The dress and its reflection (left) and a close-up of the bodice (right).

I became a little obsessed with photographing the reflection.

A short video clip highlighting the sound and darkness of the boiler room.

Yohji's Women

A few days later, I headed to the second part of the Yohji series, which was hosted by The Wapping Project Bankside in a more convenient location (next to the Tate Modern) and in contrast to the above, offering a more contemporary setting. The compact exhibition space showcased the works of seven international photographers who had teamed up with Yamamoto in the past and who were said to have found their individual voices during their collaboration with the designer. Photographs on display came from the likes of Nick Knight, Peter Lindbergh, Craig McDean, Sarah Moon, Paolo Roversi, Max Vadukul, Inez van Lamsweerde & Vinoodh Matadin.

Left: The first photograph on display: from the Yamamoto Fall 1999 campaign, featuring Maggie Rizer, shot by Inez Van Lamsweerde & Vinoodh Matadin. Right: Works from Paolo Roversi.

According to the press release "Yohji's Women expresses Yohji Yamamoto's love of strong women who do not fit the conventional magazine archetypes. His women are independent, exciting and can wear his complex clothes with authority. Theirs is a serious beauty which finds its expression in his work. The photographs capture the vigour, wit and intelligence of Yamamoto's works as well as a remarkable moment in time in which clothes, designer, icon, place and photographer spoke with one voice."

I've posted just a few of the works on display, though my pics don't really justify their beauty. Prints of all photographs can be ordered at the exhibit if you do want to take one of 'Yohji's Women' home with you.

FW87 campaign photo by Nick Knight.

Top: Works by Sarah Moon. Lower Left: From the FW87 catalog, featuring Naomi Campbell, shot by Nick Knight. Lower Right: Overview of part of the exhibition area.

Both photographs: Peter Lindbergh.

Both photos: Inez van Lamsweerde & Vinoodh Matadin, campaign forFW99 (left) and SS98 (right).

If you get a chance, I would highly recommend a visit. Both of these exhibits have free entry and while they're not as extensive as the main V&A retrospective, I was surprised by how much time I spent at each one. And if you're still craving a bit of Yohji after that - well, there's always the actual clothes...

Yohji Making Waves: 12 Mar - 10 Jul, 2011, The Wapping Project
Wapping Hydraulic Power Station, Wapping Wall, London E1W 3SG
Mon-Fri: 12:00-22:00, Sat-Sun: 10:00-22

Yohji's Women: 12 Mar - 14 May, 2011, The Wapping Project Bankside
65A Hopton Street, London SE1 9LR
Tue-Sun: 10:00-18:00, Mon by appointment