Born in Tokyo, Yohji Yamamoto established his namesake brand in 1981, focusing on bellowing silhouettes and unstructured tailoring with a mysterious sense of romance. Yamamoto is renowned for his avant-garde fusion of Japanese and Western influences, creating muted dark pieces that feature exaggerated volumes and artisanal garment construction. For SS18 Yohji Yamamoto’s collection featured recurring portraits of women and descriptive text, in English and Japanese, expressing wry conviction and vulnerability. Notably, the collection's inspiration is Buddhism, reincarnation and the painter studio. The Yamamoto spirit is channelled into generously proportioned outerwear, velvet suiting and billowing silk robes and shirts. Highlights of colour disrupt the black aesthetic. The garments appear as canvases for colour, pattern and graphic designs “New winds are blowing” said Yamamoto.