Yohji Yamamoto 1981

To identify Yohji Yamamoto, look for the designer's label on the necks of dresses and tops and the waists of bottoms. You can find images of the various labels used by the luxury maker online. To learn more about your piece, locate the series of numbers at the top of its wash tag. The first characters represent the collection of apparel, with “M” representing Y's, “H” standing for Yohji Yamamoto Pour Homme and “F” denoting Yohji Yamamoto Women’s pieces. The next set of digits contains a letter code that tells you the seasons from which the garment originated. For example, an “H” usually means the Spring/Summer 2019 collection. You can find a full listing of these codes in online databases. Explore a variety of Yohji Yamamoto apparel and accessories on 1stDibs.

Japanese fashion designer Yohji Yamamoto has two very well-known brands. The first is his eponymous brand, Yohji Yamamoto, and the other brand is Y’s. In addition to his two main brands, Yamamoto’s other lines are Pour Homme, Costume d’Homme and Regulation Yohji Yamamoto. His style is often referred to as modern luxury streetwear. Shop a collection of expertly vetted vintage and new Yamamoto clothing and accessories from some of the world’s top boutiques on 1stDibs.

Yohji Yamamoto's style is avant-garde. The legendary Japanese designer once stated, "Dirty is good." These three words capture the eccentric designer's love of a dark and disheveled, yet dapper, look. A master tailor with a distinctive style, he creates everything from coats and jackets to day dresses and evening gowns. Shop an assortment of Yohji Yamamoto apparel and accessories on 1stDibs.

What made Yohji Yamamoto famous was his skill as a tailor and the look of his dark and disheveled, yet dapper, fashions. Yamamoto launched women’s collections in Tokyo in 1977, in Paris in 1981 and in New York in 1982. These pieces loosened the traditional female clothing silhouette in favor of shapes more typical of menswear: simple cuts, minimal details and generous proportions. In 1983, the New York Times wrote, “Yohji Yamamoto may stand barely five feet tall, but his effect on world fashion in the last two years has been enormous.” In 1984, he made his first foray into men’s fashion under the Yohji Yamamoto label. In 1994, he was awarded the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French Minister of Culture, and in 2002, he became the creative director of Adidas’s Y-3. On 1stDibs, find a variety of Yohji Yamamoto apparel and accessories.