We Shall Overcome (Patreon)

03 Tokyo Calling No.18 (May 1991)

― Wearing, living, struggling

Yohji Yamamoto

What is fashion? What is 'wearing'? Yohji Yamamoto, who has always been at the forefront of the avant-garde scene and who has driven the revolution in fashion, tells us about wearing, living, and being free from conventions and common sense. His remarks about continuous struggle will encourage you to 'wear' freely, showing your true self. The photographs and close reporting were done by Juergen Teller in February in the studio of Yohji Europe as they were busy preparing for the presentation of the '91 Autumn/Winter collection. This is a documentary on the creative site exclusively shot for '03'.

Juergen Teller = photos / Editorial department = interview & composition

Fashion is not bound by tradition nor common sense 

― The main blindspot of this report is that the essence of fashion is revolutionary and it is to be free, but that recently, conservative clothing has become mainstream and as such sexy clothing is touted. However, the expression of sexiness is cheap and bound by the stereotype of sexy. I feel like it is not to be free at all.

"First of all, the question is what to be free from? Ultimately, it is to be free from ourselves. As a first step, I think the point of 'freedom' is to be free from all the conventions concealing ourselves. I'm talking about fashion here, but fashion should be free and not bound by tradition nor common sense. It's not fashion if you get rid of questioning the status quo, of the rebellious spirit. This part differs greatly from general understanding. Generally, it seems that fashion is interpreted as just a fad. I don't think so. Thinking about fashion means thinking about the common sense of the present and raising questions about it - isn't it?"

― It means finding new values. Nietzsche wrote regarding new values that 'he who has to be a creator always has to destroy.' This sounds familiar to Yohji's work.

"An architect I was working with one day said, 'I came to Mr. Yamamoto and what I studied the most was how to destroy.' I was very pleased."

― When you joined Paris collections in the early ‘80s, you had the same rebellious spirit.

"When I went to Paris, the theme was 'Elegant bullshit'. I thought I'd go to destroy the elegance of Europe. The result was a mixed reception. For better or worse, it became a kind of boom and made noise. Paul Poiret (French designer who was active at the beginning of the century) advocated the beauty of simple clothes, calling haute couture that dragged medieval and early modern times until the 19th century a luxury misery. At the time, it was sensational and revolutionary, in the sense of a frugal proposition to luxury. In the words of Ango Sakaguchi, 'both luxurious and simple items are vulgar things that human beings create,' aren't they? There is no absolutely right luxury or simplicity. However, if it is luxurious anyway, if it is luxurious enough to drift pathos, it must be nice. I think if it's simple... if it's exhaustive and dangerously simple... it must be able to strike people's feelings."

― With your new proposal, you came out of the 80s and established a global position...

"But I hate being hinted at as an 80s designer the most. I want to deny and forget everything I did in the '80s, what I did last week, and what I did yesterday. I hate what I've done. I've moved forward with that feeling. I don't even know what will come out myself. I follow my intuition first - some say a revelation or a flash of inspiration - and I move without understanding. After launch, people explain, comprehend, and criticize in various ways. As a result, it may be something that came out in that era."

― To search for new things one after another and to deny even your own work is an endless quest...

"Yeah, I'm stubborn (laughs). Some say I'm a designer who doesn't know when to give up. But anyway, I've been experimenting, experimenting repeatedly. The reason why I do it is because I think that I do not want to work restricted by conventions and common sense."

It is neither war nor politics that can give people something

Held on February 3rd in Paris, the 'Yohji Yamamoto Pour Homme' collection was a huge success not only in terms of show content but also in terms of business numbers. In the immediate aftermath of the Gulf War, as a shadowy mood engulfed everyone, Yohji's show was lively, cheerful, and full of positive energy. Amongst the models were John Cale, Curt Smith (Tears for Fears), jazz mogul Charles Lloyd, and from Japan Hiroyuki Hanada and Blankey Jet City. On behalf of '03', photographer Juergen Teller was excited, having spent two days with Yohji and his staff from the early morning of the rehearsal on the 2nd until the end of the show, but also exposed the poisonous atmosphere of such intense energy.

― As Juergen said, he was deeply moved by the show's rehearsal, the late preparations the night before, and the gorgeous performance. The passionate work of the designer and staff was so sincere that it touched his heart.

"I don't want to sound arrogant. I think we're doing something that contemporary literature can't do. It's what we all feel in that era, something you can't put yet in words, but in terms of intuition and emotions. It's a common feeling of 'this is how we are now' or 'this is the direction we want to go'. In short, it's the part where we can say 'now!' and understand each other. I think the most important job of fashion is to express those subtleties. If I were to talk only about the visible aspect of it, it would be about what the fabric is, what form it takes, what color it is, but what I really want to communicate is hidden in the overall flow and cannot put into words. What I always aim to do is to leave in the hearts of the people attending a fashion show the same feeling as you get after a good movie or a good book."

― Although Japanese people are very much interested in fashion, there is a sensuous gap between the fashion scene and the general public. For instance, fashion shows are perceived as very superficial.

"With the lightness of the words, fashion shows are completely misunderstood. Unfortunately, not many journalists and critics in Japan seem to understand this. When you see how much hard work goes on behind the scenes of a fashion show and how seriously the staff takes it, anyone with common sense wouldn't be able to give such easy critiques."

― However, as a consequence of not creating something good, you won't be recognized and you'll be ridiculed or ignored.

"Of course, that's right. One staff member told me once that they had all worked so hard and that they should be acknowledged for it. I got angry at that time because no matter how hard you work staying up all night, if people don't get the message, it's no good. Our job is to communicate something, and so it's a failure if we don't communicate it. Rather than 'communicate,' maybe 'raise' would be a better word. It is ultimately my responsibility as the designer to give something to people as a result of the hard work of the staff."

― With the war happening, many designers canceled their shows or cut back on their work while you have done a show to your heart's content. Speaking of the influence of the war, did you have strong feelings?

"It was a stronger feeling than being influenced. It's not war or politics that can really give something to people, but art. On the contrary, I saw this as the perfect opportunity to make this point clear. A Japanese journalist said to me, 'it's inappropriate to hold a fashion show at this time.' 'Inappropriate', it is 'inappropriate!' In a way, I think this shows the perception that Japanese people have of art, including fashion."

― Compared to so-called pure art, there is a tendency to disregard commercial art, including fashion.

"The tendency to disregard fashion is only found in Japan and America. In Europe, especially in Paris, fashion is an important cultural element and has a proper place concerning customs and other art forms. I have always said that one cannot talk about culture if one does not understand what fashion is. I don't think such a person is qualified to talk about literature, music, or art. For example, you would look at the clothes of a famous artist or writer and you may think they are real or fake. Clothes reveal a person's taste and ideology in a very obvious way. Since it's a trivial matter, I think it appears even more clearly."

I'm a disgusting bastard, and there are times when I fall into self-loathing

Has this designer, always at the avant-garde and rebellious against his own establishment, pushed forward a revolution in fashion with a strong spirit?

― Isn't it also a pretty tough mental struggle to push forward and deny even your past work?

"I think my conflict as a human being is greater than my conflict at work. I would like to live my life as a man, trying my best to deal with the people around me (for example, the women and friends I like). And through that, I have a strong desire to live while experiencing the disgustingness, cuteness, and kindness of people, including myself, but I'm putting all my feelings into my work. Before I know it, I'm running away from work. I feel like I've been preoccupied with my work and not fighting reality, even when I should be solving problems as a human being. I go back and forth between being a man and being a working man. Or to put it another way, I'm throwing everything I have into my work, and there's no boundary between living and expressing myself. He comforts himself and blames himself for the way true expressive activity should be. For example, when you're faced with a situation where that person you care about is in so much pain and you can't physically help them right now, which one is more important? And it's like I'm living with these questions, constantly throwing myself at them."

― It's pretty human...

"While thinking about that, I think I'm a really disgusting bastard, and I'm taking a shower while falling into self-loathing."

― You are a fan of Ango Sakaguchi and Arthur Rimbaud. Are you encouraged by their words and lifestyles?

"Ango Sakaguchi uses the words 'dismayed' and 'disturbed' a lot, and he said 'don't be ashamed of being dismayed or disturbed.' I really like that. 'When daunted, struggle,' he said."

― It's often said that Sakaguchi's life is tragicomical.

"I guess you could sum up all the activities I like to do in terms of tragicomical. The stuff that I feel is authentic is definitely rough and comical. I don't think there's a masterpiece in anything that's solely tragic."

Some people risk their lives to get dressed

The act of putting on clothes is repeated as long as humans are alive. Fashion is inseparable from the way one lives and thinks. What does Yohji Yamamoto think about 'wearing'?

― Rather than fashion, what about the act of wearing?

"I hate snobbish minimalism.  I don't care about clothes - as long as you have a pair of jeans, a stylish t-shirt, and a fine cardigan, that's fine. Otherwise, it's the kind of attitude I hate the most. And then, when it comes to luxury, I think it's ridiculous to dress up in luxurious items and to obsess over changing into something different from your true self just because of an admiration for the aristocratic mood of the upper class."

― Are you suggesting that people should dress like themselves?

"To put it more simply: can you meet anyone in the clothes that you always wear? I often say, 'if the Emperor of Japan wanted to see me, I'd go dressed like this.' Does one believe that they could continue to dress like themselves in their favorite clothes no matter what they can encounter? I think this is the most important question concerning 'wearing'."

― In that sense, there are a lot of musicians who live their lives with consistency in their clothes and their work. For example, Demon Kogure would have gone to a party hosted by the prime minister wearing the same makeup and clothes.

"That's fine, that's fine! In any case, don't be afraid of being told that 'you look weird'. For example, when Tsuguharu Foujita went to Paris, he drew people's attention with his strange, dangerous bob cut. There's nothing wrong with wearing an eccentric style as long as this expression doesn't affect your profession. If people and their profession were genuine, this would never be the case. Maybe I'm exaggerating, but in the end, expressing yourself through clothing can be deadly, no? You may lose your job by wearing certain clothes. Some people take that much risk in wearing their clothes."

― Your clothes clearly express your principles, right?

"For example, if I'm worn-out after work and try to stop a taxi in the rain, it won't stop (laughs). The fact that a taxi driver will decide based on a customer's clothes is representative of the world. You must not lose to it."

'Life Clothes' born out of a set of restrictions

― In Wim Wenders' 'Notebook on Cities and Clothes' (documentary film on the work of Yohji Yamamoto, not released in Japan), you talked about how you were inspired by the portraits of ordinary citizens taken by August Sander (German photographer who was active mainly in the '30s).

"In Sander's portraits, the essence of human life exudes. The way people look and dress in the photographs quietly tells us about their professions and their lives. Some of the clothes that I've always admired are those of the wandering Eastern Europeans who were persecuted by Nazi Germany during World War II. They only dress in 'as-is' clothing. I don't think a fashion designer could match this beauty, even if they were to work hard for the rest of their lives. In short, 'life clothes', I don't think one can make that..."

― You're a poet...

"Hmmm, what can I say? It's a frustration that I wouldn't be able to create that intensity. The charm of clothes born out of a set of restrictions is overwhelming. For example, it's the same with Japanese students. They put considerable effort into asserting themselves within the restrictions of the school uniform. It's in this way that their individuality is born. I love this kind of fashion."

― In Yukio Mishima's 'Confessions of a Mask', there's a pretentious, attractive student in a school uniform and flashy socks who gets everyone's attention.

"That's what being fashionable is all about, isn't it?"

― Speaking of uniforms, you designed the Japan Railway Company's uniform that will be introduced this year, right?

"After all, I love uniforms. For instance, in the heyday of Mao Zedong's China, when everyone was wearing the Mao suit, everyone was dressed the same way, which made each person's individuality stand out. we can compare it to an animal like an iguana or a lion. Because they wear the same clothes, their own nature, individuality and personality come out even more. But as soon as China started to adopt a lower level of fashion, everyone started to look the same."

― I know it sounds a bit mean, but in a sense, uniforms are clothes that control people. Why would Yohji Yamamoto, who rejects clothing that subordinates class, take on the design of a uniform?

"Japan National Railways..."

― Isn't it Japan Railway Company?

"Oh yeah, Japan Railway Company. I've always thought that public design exposed to the public eye needed to be improved. And I think the uniform is more than just a piece of clothing to control people, it has something in common with the 'as-is' clothing I mentioned earlier. There is no room for choice, and beauty and strength come from the set of restrictions. I thought it was the designer's role to express the charm of the uniform. Furthermore, I thought that if the men who work at JR Japan, who are widely exposed to the public eye, looked cool in my clothes, it might be an opportunity for the so-called 'rat-look' to change, perhaps even by only a hint."

― So you want to throw a stone.

"Yes, even just a pebble. Just trying to be helpful, you know?"

― Finally, to finish this monthly interview, I'd like to ask you to give a message to our readers. I think young people who are interested in fashion nowadays don't believe in manual fashion suggestions. More and more people are questioning the made-up fashion information that says this season is this color, this shape, etc. With that in mind, I'd like you to say a few words.

"Then I'll tell. Be more frustrated. More failures. Don't grow up. Drop out of school. That's it!"

― Drop out?

"There are real young people among those who drop out of school."

February 3rd, at the show. As the musicians, who had rampaged around the stage on the rhythm of rock and roll in their energy-filled Yohji outfits, disappeared and the venue went dark, a faint sound of singing could be heard coming from backstage. 'We Shall Overcome'. 'I'll Overcome Some Day' was originally a gospel song, but it was popularized by Pete Seeger and Joan Baez as a protest song for the civil rights movement and an anti-war song for the Vietnam War. As the lights slowly returned to the venue, the musicians returned to the stage. The crowd, which had been boiling with excitement, flinched into silence at the suddenness of the event, but the musicians did not stop singing. They held hands and continued to sing louder and louder. Before anyone could notice, the audience could hear them singing and clapping their hands throughout the venue. It may have been the moment when Yohji and his friends 'gave' something to the people.

'We Shall Overcome' was not just sung as an anti-war song. It was a declaration of the designer's struggle to break down conventions and traditions, to break with the spirit of rebellion, and to continue his fight to ultimately defeat himself.  Having fought with a rebellious spirit and broken down conventions and traditions, it was a declaration that the designer will continue his struggle to ultimately overcome himself. From now on, Yohji will continue to sing 'I Will Overcome' with a slightly shy look on his face.

Captions

p.21
Invitation to the show on February 3rd. Poster size, with a mermaid pin-up girl smiling charmingly.

p.22
"We're doing something that contemporary literature can't do."
Briefing with musicians hired as models. English and French words are flying around.

p.23
Confidence, anxiety, distress, fatigue - all senses will blend, hopefully.
Late-night preparations for the show. Coordination changes and checks are made at the last minute. The tense atmosphere is thickening.

p.24
"If the Emperor of Japan wanted to see me, I’d go dressed like this."

p.25
The pin-up girl prints generated a lot of attention in this collection. This is one of the oriental beauties which was printed on the back of a leather blouson.

p.27
Having a friendly chat with guest model John Cale during rehearsal.

p.28
The backstage of a show is generally hard, just like this.

p.29
The hands of Yohji Yamamoto tying a pin-up girl printed tie. With these hands, he never even ties a tie for himself.

p.30
A comically large bowtie is filled with poetry.

p.31
'We shall overcome'
Charles Lloyd during rehearsal. Many people described him as 'kawaii' when performing.
The musicians who served as models are gathered on stage.
Yohji Yamamoto gangs (?). They have put up with a lot of hard work, but they were still cheerful staff.
A jacket inspired by the Cubist papier collé.
Hairstylist Marc Lopez (right) and model Yasunori Mihara.
A jacket with a beautiful Yohji silhouette.
Kenichi Asai of Blankey Jet City.
The staff with a lot of character were quite popular.