Two Asian designers who chose Paris to showcase their fashion, Japan's Yohji Yamamoto and China's Sean Suen, made the most compelling statements on a muggy men's fashion Thursday, although Yohji owned the day with his star model, Charlotte Rampling.
Yohji Yamamoto: Buddhist and brilliant
Charlotte Rampling finished Yohji Yamamoto's latest menswear show in a white shirt dress, shorts, chains, sunglasses and a raffia hat. She had already stolen the show with the first passage of hers halfway through.
A beautiful collection from the Japanese master, with dozens of Buddhist thoughts, meditations and words of wisdom printed on virtually every look.
Attending a Yohji show, especially at their cramped European venue in Les Halles, has always felt a bit like being a member of a cool club. This afternoon, there were literally twice as many fans outside as there were fans inside, all sitting on small wooden folding chairs like acolytes or seminarians.
But faith can often work miracles, as Yamamoto did with this Spring/Summer 2025 collection, made from the lightest fabrics used by the designer. Flowing rayon, semi-sheer nylon and soft silks.
“I was thinking about a hot summer,” Yohji laughed, dressed in a black shirt, an elongated vest and a worn-out fedora.
Most of the looks are overprinted with Yohji's sketches: blobby figurative illustrations, including one of Rampling in his spread white shirt and gold look.
“You didn't recognize it was me!” Rampling joked in mock dismay in the crowded backstage, after posing with Yamamoto in an even more crowded backstage.
The show was a reminder that every fashion-conscious man should own at least a pair of redingotes or a shirt jacket from Yamamoto, especially from this superlative collection. A spiritual insight into the man and a reminder of how many young designers are influenced by Yohji.
“I was rediscovering Buddhism. To understand religion it takes time. It is very difficult. I started studying when I was young, but I didn't understand that well,” he explained.
And her elegiac style, with its slits, gentle dropped shoulders and armholes, and ephemeral aesthetic, somehow evoked the Buddhist concept of doing no harm.
When asked if he had studied the other major religion in Japan, Shintoism, Yohji replied: “No, I hated Shintoism. Because that's what caused the war.”
Sean Suen: Mei Lanfang mode
Given the one-party regime in China, there is a superficial tendency among Westerners to view all Chinese as conformists. The same could never be said of Sean Suen, nor of his latest collection, dedicated to actor and transvestite Mei Lanfang.
Mei Lanfang, a legendary figure in Peking Opera, played more than 180 female characters throughout a brilliant career.
Therefore, the designer incorporated multiple theatrical elements (loose sleeves or jade belts) into eastern and western elements.
Knitted monk hats adorned with pearls; jackets finished with tassels; A diplomat's winged turtleneck combined with deconstructed Zhongshan.
“Transforming on stage into a beauty that transcended gender and social norms,” was how Sean Suen praised this season's muse, Mei Lanfang.
Nomadic in style, but very designed for travelers who never stray far from a five-star hotel chain.
An elegant statement and a stimulating discovery for the public who witnessed the show at the Palais de Tokyo in Paris.
Although perhaps, a vision in which the concept often takes over the clothing. With the result that the models were also taken over. In short, a very intelligent technical exercise and a revealing visual discourse, although it is not a great collection.
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