"Hate Going to the Office... 80-Year-Old Eccentric Fashion Master's Hobby Is Cemetery Walks [Japanese Side]"

Japanese Avant-Garde Fashion Designer Yamamoto Yoji
Entered Fashion Design Following Mother Who Ran a Women's Clothing Store
Broke Women's Wear Taboos with Oversized and Black Designs

The world of art is truly profound. Among famous masters, there are many unique individuals whom ordinary people cannot easily approach. Recently, an interview conducted by The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) with a Japanese fashion master became a hot topic. Having reached the age of 80, he candidly said, "Work is prison," and honestly admitted that his hobby is still walking in cemeteries, which drew attention. In fact, this person is Yoji Yamamoto, the first-generation designer leading Japanese avant-garde fashion and the head of the brand 'Y's.' Even a master dislikes going to work and feels that work is like prison, which can be comforting. This weekend, we share the story of Yoji Yamamoto, a world-renowned fashion designer who has now reached the age of 80.

Mr. Yamamoto was born in Tokyo in 1943. When he was young, his father died in the war, and his mother, who ran a tailor shop, raised him alone. Because his mother ran a tailor shop, he naturally developed an interest in clothes. Perhaps due to similar artistic genes, he drew a lot from a young age, and in high school, he happened to learn drawing at an art academy attended by people aiming to become designers.

Interview with Yamamoto Yoji conducted with Joshibi University. (Photo by Joshibi University YouTube)

First, he studied hard and entered the prestigious Keio University in Japan, majoring in law. When it was time to consider his future after graduation, he said, "My classmates who studied less than me already had their lives guaranteed because their parents were wealthy," which led him to dream of doing something different. So, to help his mother’s tailor shop, he enrolled in Bunka Fashion College, a fashion school. There, he showed outstanding talent by winning first place in a design contest with his own creations.

With confidence, he ventured to Paris. At that time, Paris, the city of fashion, was transitioning from haute couture, high-end custom clothing, to pr?t-?-porter, ready-to-wear fashion. It was different from the fashion he had learned in Japan. No matter how much he tried to open sales channels, he was repeatedly rejected, and after a year, he returned to Japan and helped make clothes for customers at his mother’s shop again.

An early design by Yohji Yamamoto featured in a magazine during his time at the Korea National University of Cultural Heritage.
(Photo by KLD homepage)

While making custom clothes, he felt that "the clothes women have to wear must be suffocating." Emphasizing lines like the waist meant the clothes inevitably fit tightly without gaps. In 1972, Mr. Yamamoto launched the brand 'Y's,' using the initial letter Y from his English surname, focusing on designs different from tight clothes. The first women's wear he made was a monochrome coat inspired by men's oversized coats. Unlike the flashy fashion of the time, it was inevitably plain. He also introduced practical designs such as raincoats made from water-repellent fabric. This was noted as "a new sense of clothing excluding femininity," which became a sensation.

In 1981, Mr. Yamamoto opened a store in Paris and held his first fashion show. At that time, the mainstream style in Paris was to emphasize shoulder lines with pads to make shoulders look broad while making the waist slim. Mr. Yamamoto presented oversized fashion mainly in black. Black clothes were almost taboo in the fashion world then, but he boldly showcased them, which became known as the "shock of black." While some media praised him highly, there was also criticism calling his experiment "an insult to Western fashion" because he was an Asian. Some even disparagingly called it "Hiroshima chic."

Yohji Yamamoto's collection. (Photo by Yohji Yamamoto official website)

However, with attention, he raised his recognition. In 1989, he released a documentary film titled "Video Notes on City and Mode," directed, scripted, and narrated by the famous German filmmaker Wim Wenders. He began to succeed not only in Japan but worldwide. Y's clothes became so popular that thousands of products were sold in secondhand clothing stores around the world.

But everyone faces trials in life. In 2009, his company filed for bankruptcy. He had invested heavily in overseas expansion, but with the 2008 Lehman Shock, managing funds became difficult. This news was reported not only in Japan but worldwide. At the crossroads of whether to close the brand, Mr. Yamamoto prevented bankruptcy by signing sponsorship contracts with investment companies. He said, "As long as I don't fall and my eyes don't fail, I will keep making clothes," and revealed, "It was a decision to protect the people who supported the brand."

Yohji Yamamoto's women's collection announced last March. (Photo by Yohji Yamamoto official website)

Yoji Yamamoto has now become a master designer at the age of 80. Nevertheless, he continues his activities. This year alone, he held a women's fashion show in March and a men's fashion show in June. This time, he received praise again for his signature monochrome oversized jackets and asymmetrically layered flowing fabrics. He also conducted an interview with The Wall Street Journal. One might expect a master's day to be unusual, but he answered the interview with surprising humor.

When asked by a reporter, "How do you start Monday morning?" he replied, "I am tired from Monday morning. I am already exhausted," and added, "What helps me is walking with my dog to a cemetery two hours from home."

When asked, "How difficult is it to start work in the morning?" he briefly answered, "It feels like being in prison. Work is an obligation to me." He also left unique answers such as "I hate going into the office even though I am busy to death," and "I smoke two packs of cigarettes a day."

Yohji Yamamoto preparing for fitting. (Photo by Yohji Yamamoto Instagram)

In fact, this is also why Yamamoto is called the "eternal rebel." He once said, "If I had not become a fashion designer, I would have become a criminal." Starting with breaking the taboos of Paris fashion, he has recently taken an interest in climate issues caused by fast fashion. Even at 80, he continues to take on new challenges in fashion. He also said, "I can never like the English word 'fashion.' Charm arises when clothes and the person wearing them meet. It is right to call it chance or coincidence." Once again, this reminds us that what keeps a person young is not age but mindset and attitude toward life.