Y-3 AUTUMN/WINTER 14-15
Superheroes might be the world’s only remaining hope. This is the message of a playful, surreal, and optimistic collection from Y-3, which showed for the first time during Paris Men’s Fashion Week at the Couvent des Cordeliers on Sunday, January 19, 2014. Men’s and women’s pieces were presented together in a range of retro-tinged primary colors. Clothes emphasized functionality and modularity to underscore Y-3’s commitment to the vision of sport-style. Stunningly revealed in an epic black and white setting with a neon light backdrop, models stalked the runway to superhero music themes and were watched by a front-row crowd including music icon Kanye West, Parisian socialites Louise Monot, Caroline Proust and Louis-Marie de Castelbajac, German actor Clemens Schick as well as adidas athletes Gwladys Épangue (Olympian/Taekwondo), Laura Flessel-Colovic (Olympian/Fencing) and Jimmy Vicaut (Sprinter).
The collection played up a contrast between utopia and dystopia—the former expressed in a hand-drawn manga comic strip that was magnified to bring a graphic texture to the clothes, the latter realized in dramatic, voluminous silhouettes in classic Yohji Yamamoto black, as well as deep scarlets, honey yellows, and dark indigos. Distressed fabrics and sumptuous fake furs contrasted with clean, polished, technical sportswear and luxurious, high-shine leathers. The playful superhero theme was heightened with T-shirts and tanks printed with dramatic comic-book slogans like “TO BE CONTINUED…” and “SO WE MEET AGAIN.”
Much of the women’s range took on a masculine mood, seen in tailored leather blazers with articulated elbows, sleek button-down shirts with a single modular glove attached to the sleeve, and jersey suspender pants. At the same time, however, the collection included several chic feminine pieces, from an hourglass-shape jersey dress with a fluttering hem to a curve-hugging asymmetric nylon skirt trimmed in ruffles to any number of billowing A-line dresses, some of which came equipped with utilitarian kangaroo pockets.
Charged with an on-the-go, anything-can-happen spirit, men’s clothes placed heavy emphasis on ease and mobility. That meant a superhero-worthy hooded jumpsuit, a French terry cargo pant with heavy ribbing at the waist and legs, a pair of cropped sarouel pants, and a track poncho with strategic zips and pockets. One stand-out jacket even included a built-in backpack—lending a cool solution to today’s fast-paced lifestyles—and a convertible quilted blouson featured detachable sleeves and elastic tie-cords. Luxurious leathers made for stunning key pieces, like a padded biker jacket and a quilted parka.
Instantly eye-catching, brilliantly collaged, and lavishly detailed, the season’s footwear took this Y-3 collection to new heights—literally. For women, fierce teetering wooden wedges were trimmed in Mongolian lamb’s fur and featured a built-in neoprene sock. Hiking boots combined a variety of leathers, colors, fabrics, and textures, often on a single shoe. Men’s footwear meanwhile took a slightly more sober turn, yet were no less innovative for it. Multi-fabric trainers echoed the everything-and-the-kitchen-sink aesthetic of the women’s footwear, while elegant Chelsea boots and desert moccasins spoke at hushed volumes. Tribal-motif high tops captured an attitude worthy of any superhero.
"The collection is an homage to the couturiers of he 60's. I wanted to infuse this spirit into it. I was also thinking of super heroes and the kind of clothes they wear. Cut for an active and fighting life style, so I brought these two worlds together" Yohji Yamamoto
