My research question is: How did Japanese ideals and cultural dress influence modern fashion? This relates to the core question of the course because redefining Japan-ness is a central motivator of the Japanese fashion designers that I have chosen to study. I focused specifically on Rei Kawakubo and Yohji Yamamoto, whose ethos and design principles are founded in Japanese concepts of beauty, asymmetry, and craftsmanship. Up until the Industrial Revolution, high fashion was centered in Europe and the West. Kawakubo and Yamamoto were the first to break onto the global fashion scene with designs that were unprecedented at the time. Kawakubo created effortlessly feminine articles of clothing through almost shapeless designs that covered the entire of body. She would break her knitting machines to give her pieces the imperfection and asymmetry of human touch and craftsmanship. Similarly, Yamamoto pushed boundaries in ways that were absurd and at times unnerving, while simultaneously maintaining an unmatched quality and ethical standard. Just as Akira Kurusawa had a profound influence on Hollywood filmmaking, Yamamoto’s influence on high fashion was so pervasive that almost all labels today follow parts of his design principles and practices. A core element of Japan-ness is its ability to transform other cultures and mediums. Kawakubo and Yamamoto absorbed western culture and then transformed it with their sense of Japanese history and their focus on precision and form.
I chose this topic because I am interested in clothes and how they affect the ways we understand our bodies, our notions of beauty, and our lifestyles. I also enjoy making clothes with my friends and thought it would be a fun topic to talk to my peers about. Recently, one of my friends visited Japan and brought back some unique pieces which strengthened my interest. Before working on this project I was aware of many Japanese designers who influenced current trends. Then I began to notice Japanese aesthetics in the clothes I choose to wear on a daily basis. I wanted to take the opportunity to look more deeply into why exactly I and so many others people of my generation find Japanese fashion so appealing and influential.
In my project, I visually examine five different Japanese pieces. The first two pieces I chose are dresses made in the 90s by Yamamoto. I chose these pieces because they epitomize certain aspects of Yamamoto’s aesthetic and emerged at an important time in the history of Japanese influence on fashion. Yamamoto’s work is often characterized as distressed, worn, shapeless, and abject, and these pieces certainly embody these attributes. By comparing and contrasting these pieces with the works of Yamamoto’s contemporaries as well as with traditional Japanese pieces, I attempted to identify how tailoring has shifted over time and how different artists use the essence of Japan-ness in their work.
Two additional pieces that I analyzed are made by Kawakubo; these pieces are suit type designs rather than dresses and they are also both made in the 90s. I chose these pieces because they are from a similar time as the Yamamoto pieces and they offer an interesting contrast that reveals a different take on Japan-ness. These pieces also suggest interesting implications in terms of femininity, which holds important significance to the meaning of Japan-ness. Yamamoto and Kawakubo were the most influential Japanese designers of their time and the contrast between the pieces I have chosen exemplifies how their fashions diverged from one another while still being connected by principle of Japan-ness.
The last piece I chose is a Kimono from the Edo period because of its cultural significance, artistry, and influence. Since the other four pieces I chose are made by contemporary designers, this Kimono helps to widen the scope of my project and offer historical context. Furthermore, the Kimono aesthetic had a profound effect on “gendered cultural identities,” as one of my sources discusses. The reason that this Kimono is important to my project is because of its representation of traditional dress and the roots of Japanese culture. It also has strong connotations concerning gender which can be compared and contrasted with the contemporary pieces that I chose.
My textual sources helped to inform my understanding of gender and it relationship to Japanese fashion as well as to the development of Japan-ness. The first text that I analyzed is an article titled “Kimono and the Construction of Gender and Cultural Identities” by Ofran Goldstein-Gidoni. This article asserts that the distinction between western and Japanese attire has to do with gender and cultural identities. It identifies the Kimono as the national attire and the feminine costume. In Japanese culture, women represent “Japanese femininity” and men represent “rational action and achievement.” In this way, women are meant to represent Japanese tradition, and men Western rationality. The West is described as “suru bunka,” which means a culture which does things, calculated with utilitarian goals, while Japan is described as “naru bunka,” a culture which “things become.” I think it is also a beautiful sentiment that Japan is a culture in which “things become.” It ties back to Japan’s religious heritage and to the influence of Buddhism. It then translates these influences into a culture that loves and admires beauty, and that strives for harmony with nature.
According to Goldstein-Gidoni, this distinction between male and female genders and their relationship to Japanese attire comes to life in the Sejin ceremony, which is the coming of age ceremony in Japan. This ceremony happens every year on January 15th, and celebrates everyone who is turning 20 in a given calendar year. Japanese men wear western suits to the celebration, as they will for job interviews and professional roles later on in life. This choice in attire coincides with the notion that Japanese men represent the western world. Japanese women, on the other hand, wear Kimonos as a national symbol of tradition. By wearing a Kimono during the Segin ceremony, a Japanese give displays the status of her family, since there is a unique art associated with acquiring a Kimono, and on top of that, they are extremely expensive. The goal of the Kimono’s form is to create a well packaged and bound cylindrical form of the female body. To accomplish this, Japanese girls are padded with gauze and towels so that they fit the ideal female form before they are wrapped tightly with the Kimono. Their bodies are corrected and they are told to remain still and compact, poised to endure the suffering of the fitting. They are thus objectified as packaged products geared toward the reproduction of a feminine Japanese image. Because of this practice, the Kimono becomes a like part of one’s skin, but it is also more than a constraint on the body. The Kimono exerts psychological influence, and its ultimate goal is to mold Japanese girls into the cultural pattern of good wife and wise mother. It is said that wearing a kimono generates a feeling that a non-Japanese person cannot understand. A quote from the article that exemplifies this and stood out to me is as follows: “When you wear kimono it reaches your feelings, it enlarges your mind and makes you calm, even if you want to run you cannot. You have to move in a natural way. So, if the feelings become calm so are your thoughts. Even if something bad is done to you, you do not react immediately, you think first before you act. A Japanese woman like this had guarded the Japanese household (ie). I would like the young women to be a little like this” (Goldstein-Gidoni 363).
The other article I analyzed is Lynne Cooke’s review of a book on Yamamoto, edited by Ligaya Salazar, which is about how Japanese fashion began to have an effect on Western dress after the Industrial Revolution. It focuses specifically on the influences of Yamamoto and Kawakubo in the 1970s and 80s. These two Japanese designers took Paris by storm through their re-imagination of tailoring. Their innovative approach to tailoring created a less constrained look that avoided gender stereotypes. They used techniques of layering, oversizing, and asymmetry to create a new idea of beauty. They also often used black and muted pallets. Their ideas and forms demonstrate a vast contrast to traditional Japanese ideals concerning beauty, and in turn have had a radical impact on fashion, both in Japan and globally.
When Yamamoto and Kawakubo burst onto the scene, their work shared a melancholy post-Holocaust angst. Their designs were described as distressed, worn, shapeless, and abject. As their careers progressed, their interests and designs began to diverge. Kawakubo became more and more inspired by “trenchant modernism,” and Yamamoto became more invested in romanticism and revivalism in response to Western designers, espcially Chanel and Vionnet.
Yamamoto was renowned for the intense care and attention he placed on the weight and texture of his fabrics. He also was praised for the sophistication of his cutting and drapery, and through his techniques he was able to create garments that were captivating in their simplicity. The ideologies behind the Kimono and the ideologies of Kawakubo and Yamamato can be described as oppositional. These days, fashion is still influenced by an aesthetic sparked by Yamamato’s ideologies about gender and oversizing. Given the cyclical nature of fashion trends, perhaps skinniness will have a resurgence in fashion someday.
Dress, Evening
Work Type
Costume-Main Garment-Women
Date: Autumn-Winter 1997-1998
Image: 2006
Material: Synthetic
Measurements: bust; length; waist: 36 x 60 x 28 in. (91.4 x 152.4 cm)
Description
front
Black, double-layered polyester/rayon organza with nylon lining Below-knee length; fitted torso; padded bust; sleeveless; V-neck; full skirt, folded and draped; skirt reinforced with synthetic horsehair; snap closure at PL side
Label: “Yohji Yamamoto”
This dress by Yohji Yamamoto takes a lot of risks in its form. The color of the dress is plain black and I think this puts a larger emphasis on its form and texture. It is also consistent with Yamamoto’s repeated use of black and muted pallets. The way that the dress is folded and draped is the main focal point of the piece and shows the extravagance of Yamamoto’s romanticism. It creates the oversized look while the torso and upper part of the dress are more form fitting. The folded and draped portion also creates asymmetry and helps show off the weight of the fabric. The material is listed as synthetic, so I am not 100% sure how it feels; however, it looks to me that the upper part of the dress is stiff and constraining which juxtaposes with the lower part of the dress which is more of a spectacle. Another signature aspect of the work seen in this piece is Yamamoto’s use and emphasis on reorientation. I would argue that the viewer’s focus is reoriented from the hips of the dress to the neckline of the dress because of how the bagginess that surrounds the hips contrasts with the revealing sharpness that surrounds the neck.
Designer: Yohji Yamamoto (Japanese, born Tokyo, 1943)
Culture
Japanese
Title
Dress
Work Type
Dress
Date
spring/summer 1993
Material
cotton
Repository
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Costume Institute
Gift of Richard Martin, 1993
This visual reference depicts two dresses made by Yohji Yamamoto and both offer great examples of his use of texture, muted pallets, and distressing. Their forms are somewhat shapeless. The piece on the right has ribbed distressing that is seen most noticeably down the right side of the dress spanning from the middle of the abdomen to the the feet and less aggressively in center of the dress from the collar and down to the abdomen. I think this use of distressing is tasteful and important to this piece in particular. It contrasts with the formlessness of the dress which hides the female body since it allows for a revealing aspect to the piece. The use of distressing allows the piece to be revealing yet not restricting. Asymmetry can also be seen in this piece as the distressing differs between sides. Furthermore, the collar of the piece rides higher on the right shoulder than the left. These aspects combine to make the dress simultaneously somewhat shapeless and also very feminine and representative of feminine beauty. The dress on the left of the image is also somewhat shapeless, though it appears more androgynous in its form. It too is distressed at the bottom of the dress as the fabric turns to threads. If you look closely at this piece, it is revealed that it is very unique and boundary pushing. The entire dress apart from the sleeves is completely composed of disjointed fabric in the form of black and olive rhombi that is delicately connected by various threads of fabric. On top of this, white thread creates a separate pattern of rhombi that also acts as a connector. If you look closely, you can see the skin of the mannequin peaking through in between every single rhombus. This again creates a revealing femininity and allows for possibilities of layering. I have never seen a pattern used in a way like this and I think it is extremely forward thinking and innovative.
Rei Kawakubo (Japanese, b. 1942) / Comme des Garçons
Title
suit
Work Type
Costume
Date
1996
Material
wool, cotton
Measurements
A) jacket: L: 25 1/2 in.; W: 24 3/4 in. (shoulders); B) skirt: L: 42 1/8 in.; W: 10 7/8 in. (waist)
This Japanese suit made by Kawakubo is very detailed and intricate in its form and its textile patterns. The red shapes across the suit speak to its Japanese-ness. They remind me of Japanese maple leaves. While the jacket is more form fitting, the pants are more oversized. They are oversized while remaining feminine which is a key principle in Kawakubo’s work and something that contrasts with traditional Japanese values. I admire how the pants are free-flowing and beautiful, while still remaining structured. I think this attribute speaks to the female identity. Powerful yet free. Furthermore, the asymmetry seen in the pants is a very noticeable Japanese aesthetic.
Brand: Comme des Garçons (founded 1969) (left)
Retailer/Maker: Heidelberg Wolff & Co (right)
Title
Suit (left); Man’s World War I U.S. Army uniform (right)
Work Type
Clothing and Accessories
Date
1998 (left); 1914-1918 (right)
Material
Khaki wool twill
Description
Military uniforms (right) are an important influence on modern women’s fashions. The appeal of the uniform is multifaceted. Uniforms, especially military styles, symbolize authority, while also carrying an erotic edge. Uniforms can also function psychologically to maintain a sense of order and protection against the vulnerability of the naked body and the uncertainty of life. This particular ensemble (left) by Junya Watanabe for Comme des Garcons, an avant-garde Japanese label, references the classic American infantry uniform in army green wool. It thus assimilates the wearer to an imagined community of brave young men.
This piece is a suit by Kawakubo and here protege Junya Watanabe. The top of the suit has a more restricting and binding form than the other works I analyzed. Rather than this being a call back to traditional Japanese attire, I think it is meant to serve as a commentary on a reversal of gender roles. I think the main purpose and focus of this design concerns its influence from military style army uniforms. Army uniforms are associated with manliness, fearlessness and authority. This is why it is an interesting statement to make womenswear inspired by such. This piece is labeled as work type which also coincides with the Japanese notion that western clothes should serve as work wear. This is because it is cheaper and more convenient. Furthermore, it speaks to the fact that Western clothes represent utilitarian goals and Japanese attire speaks to nature and beauty. This is the only Japanese piece I have chosen that is clearly influenced by western dress. Most of my thoughts have been about how Kawakubo and Yamamoto influenced western dress, but this piece is an example of how the influence goes both ways.
Work Type
Costume and Jewelry
Costume (including accessories)
Date
First half of 19th century
Location
Made in Japan
Material
Silk plain weave with yuzen dyeing, stenciled imitation tie-dyeing, and silk and gilt thread embroidery in couching, satin, and outline stitches
Period
Edo Period (1615-1868)
Measurements
Center Back Length: 64 inches (162.6 cm)
Description
Outer garment with snow-covered landscape design.
Back
This Kimono is green and depicts flowers, trees, and other elements of nature. It is referred to as a “snow covered landscape design,” which seems misleading because it is green. On the lower left part of the Kimono, you can also see a boat. An element of this Kimono that strikes me as Japanese is the asymmetry seen in the designs. This asymmetry creates a whole scene, rather than just a pattern, which in turn suggests a form of storytelling that is characteristic of Japan-ness. The long list of materials used to make this Kimono signifies its luxury and artistry. Since the Kimono is not wrapped around a woman, but rather laid out for display, its true tailored form isn’t revealed; however, its elegance and beauty can still be seen through the intricacy of the designs and the richness of the materials. In sum, this piece brings together the importance of nature, tradition, and femininity, which are central to the history of Japan-ness.
Work Cited
Cooke, Lynne, Review of Yohji Yamamoto, edited by Ligaya SalazarThe Burlington Magazine, vol. 154, no. 1306, 2012, pp. 49–50. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/41418909. Accessed 19 Oct. 2023.
Martin, Richard. “Our Kimono Mind: Reflections on ‘Japanese Design: A Survey Since 1950.’” Journal of Design History, vol. 8, no. 3, 1995, pp. 215–23. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/1316033. Accessed 19 Oct. 2023.
Goldstein-Gidoni, Ofra. “Kimono and the Construction of Gendered and Cultural Identities.” Ethnology, vol. 38, no. 4, 1999, pp. 351–70. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/3773912. Accessed 19 Oct. 2023.
Artist/maker unknown, Japanese. Kimono (Uchikake). First half of 19th century. Artstor, library.artstor.org/asset/AMICO_PHILADELPHIA_103883033
Rei Kawakubo (Japanese, b. 1942) / Comme des Garçons. suit. 1996. Artstor, library.artstor.org/asset/AINDIANAIG_10313597906
Designer: Rei Kawakubo (1942 -) (left), Brand: Comme des Garçons (founded 1969) (left), Retailer/Maker: Heidelberg Wolff & Co (right). 1998 (left); 1914-1918 (right). Suit (left); Man’s World War I U.S. Army uniform (right). Clothing and Accessories. Place: The Museum at FIT, left: Museum Purchase; right: Gift of Mrs. Roswell Gilpatric. https://library.artstor.org/asset/AMFITIG_10313880174.
Yohji Yamamoto, Japanese, born 1943, (Designer),. Dress, Evening. Autumn-Winter 1997-1998, Image: 2006. Artstor, library.artstor.org/asset/ABROOKLYNIG_10312348867
Designer: Yohji Yamamoto (Japanese, born Tokyo, 1943). spring/summer 1993. Dress. Dress. Place: <a href=”http://www.metmuseum.org”>The Metropolitan Museum of Art</a>, Costume Institute, Gift of Richard Martin, 1993. https://library.artstor.org/asset/MMA_IAP_1039650910.
