Yohji Yamamoto Jewelry & Watches
The avant-garde Japanese fashion designer Yohji Yamamoto has said, “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.
Yamamoto was born to a World War II widow in 1943. By the time he was 26, he had a law degree from Keio University and a fashion degree from Bunka Fashion College. In 1969, he won two Japanese fashion awards — the Endo Award and the Soen Award — which included a round-trip ticket to Paris.
It was in the French capital that Yamamoto realized the fashion world was changing. A casual aesthetic was replacing formal and classical sensibilities. He soon set up his first label — Y’s — and embarked upon designing heavy-duty sportswear.
Yamamoto launched women’s collections in 1977 in Tokyo, in 1981 in Paris and in 1982 in New York. Their 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.
Yamamoto’s fashion has been the subject of exhibitions around the world, including “May I help you” in 2002 at the Maison Européenne de la Photographie in Paris, “Correspondences” in 2005 at the Gallery of Modern Art in Florence, Italy, and “Painting and Weaving Opportunity” in 2017 at Tokyo Opera City Art Gallery. In 2017, he received the DFA Lifetime Achievement Award.
On 1stDibs, find vintage Yohji Yamamoto clothing, accessories, handbags and more.
21st Century and Contemporary Yohji Yamamoto Jewelry & Watches
20th Century American Retro Yohji Yamamoto Jewelry & Watches
Coral, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
Early 1800s French Empire Antique Yohji Yamamoto Jewelry & Watches
Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Yohji Yamamoto Jewelry & Watches
Cultured Pearl, Tourmaline, Pearl, 14k Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Enamel
Late 20th Century Dutch Yohji Yamamoto Jewelry & Watches
Coral, Freshwater Pearl, Pearl, 18k Gold, Gold
1910s German Edwardian Vintage Yohji Yamamoto Jewelry & Watches
Diamond, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
Late 20th Century American Yohji Yamamoto Jewelry & Watches
Crystal, Onyx, Pearl, Rock Crystal, Platinum, 18k Gold
2010s Indian Contemporary Yohji Yamamoto Jewelry & Watches
White Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s Italian Classical Roman Yohji Yamamoto Jewelry & Watches
Coral, Gold, 18k Gold
Early 2000s British Art Deco Yohji Yamamoto Jewelry & Watches
Diamond, Black Pearl
1970s Modern Vintage Yohji Yamamoto Jewelry & Watches
Coral, Onyx
20th Century Yohji Yamamoto Jewelry & Watches
South Sea Pearl, 18k Gold
20th Century American Retro Yohji Yamamoto Jewelry & Watches
Coral, Diamond, 14k Gold, White Gold