PART 1: YAMAMOTO

Despite first establishing his own label in Japan back in 1972, it was not until 1981 that Yohji Yamamoto made his international debut, showcasing the first collection of his eponymous label in Paris. The collection garnered massive amounts of column inches within the fashion press - in stark contrast to the body-conscious, high-glamour collections of the time, Yamamoto sent all of his models down the runway in black asymmetric clothing and dramatic white make-up. The use of loose fabrics, oversized silhouettes and a monochromatic colour palette would establish the aesthetic for which Yamamoto would become renowned; an aesthetic which the designer has experimented with and developed over his thirty-year career. The aesthetic was also the first consistent example of a 'minimal' collection, and was the first notable example of minimalism truly engulfing the mainstream and being seen as a more commercially viable option that traditional glamour.

Yohji Yamamoto A/W 1996

Whilst the collection itself was interesting, it was the reaction of the fashion media that was the real talking point. The show marked the beginning of the 'Japanese invasion' and, essentially, a new era in fashion. Accompanied by Rei Kawakubo and Issey Miyake, the powerful trio baffled the media by creating designs that were deliberately designed to avoid being 'flattering'. The lines of the clothing never seemed to match the female form,and almost seemed to enshroud the figure rather than accentuate it. The collection was a feminist statement in some way - it showed that clothes could look good on a woman without being figure-hugging.