Yohji Yamamoto

Spring/Summer 2010 Men’s & Women’s Collection

In celebration of the upcoming FIFA World Cup, the Y-3 Spring/Summer 2010 collection took a global tour of modern sport style, rendered in the label’s signature of elegant athleticism. Shown on Sunday, September 13^th as part of New York fashion week, the collection underscored an abstract idea of World Cup dressing.

Y-3 is where fashion and sport collide, a fact that was emphasized by the front-row presence of professional footballer Zinedine Zidane. A sport icon and contemporary legend in his own right, Zidane watched as models strode down the catwalk to a soundtrack of American rock classics, Michael Jackson, and symphonic national anthems. Others in attendance included Rufus Wainwright, Lupe Fiasco, Russell Simmons, Devon Aoki, Casey Spooner, Leigh Lezark, and Geordon Nicol.

The collection, shown for the first time in the Uptown Park Avenue Armory Building, was highlighted with a bold lighting concept and industrial stadium installation that enhanced the tension of sport and fashion.

This season, Yohji Yamamoto and adidas explored an intellectual approach to the beautiful game of soccer. The show included exaggerated silhouettes, loose-cut trousers, and abstract flag motifs in the colorways of eight soccer federations sponsored by adidas: South Africa, Germany, Japan, Mexico, Spain, Argentina, France, and Russia. Soccer shorts were cut long and extra wide, oversized plaid shirts skimmed the knees, and laser-cut jersey tube dresses emphasized an idea of light, transparency, and movement. The collection paired the wit and intellect of Mr. Yamamoto with the innovation of adidas.

The women’s collection pushed the concept of see-through with cropped jackets in embroidered cotton eyelet, worn with voluminous, asymmetric ruffled skirts and Japanese-style platform sandals that wrapped around the ankles. Similarly, the men’s collection included suit jackets inset with panels of laser-cut netting, showcasing an idea of tailoring with lightness.

Y-3 is first in footwear, and the show displayed a range of striking limited-edition trainers in the classic Field style, updated with an exaggerated removable tongue and bold, graphic colorways inspired by the flags of each country.

The show closed with a penalty kickoff by Mr. Yamamoto and Zidane as they shot two soccer balls into a massive net that descended from the ceiling.

“When the soccer players shoot and hit the goal, the net swings into a beautiful shape. This inspired a series of laser-cut T-shirts and dresses that captured the same movement.” ­

– Yohji Yamamoto