The Ties That Bind
Review of Yohji Yamamoto Fall 2025 Fashion Show
By Angela Baidoo
THE COLLECTION
THE VIBE
Ties and Tethers, Duality, A Moment of Nobility
Thinking about the ties that bind us to our clothes, Yohji Yamamoto’s fall 2025 show was a representation of the way in which we are tethered to our outer selves. Able to fill every inch of a room, todays show was attended, as it always is, with industry peers who have respected and revered the brand since its first showing in Paris in 1981. Despite having a fairly good understanding of what we are going to get, the designers unwavering dedication to his chosen path of contemporary luxury fashion has brought him continued success and a loyal fan base who can be spotted from across the room, even within a crowd.
Yohji Yamamoto collections run with a certain level of coherence, even if not immediately made obvious on first viewing, and fall 2025 (like his fellow respected maverick Rick Owens) displayed true moments of wearability, from a twist-front tunic dress to a biker jacket hybrid with textured wool panelling.
Largely remaining defiant in the use of his favoured monochromatic black – save for a dusting of rainbow specks on a tweed fabric – this method has trained the eye to focus on how the designers silhouettes have been formed and how they relate, or not, to the body. Deliberately challenging in that his clothes don’t necessarily fit into a specific aesthetic box, there were concessions made to what was happening outside of the designers inner sanctum. Here, in the form of a puffball skirt which opened the show, pointed power shoulders, and a leather off-the-shoulder corset top layered over a pinstripe dress (both with tattered hems) could have been a signing off on the trend for #officecore.
With women’s, as with his men’s show in January, a selection of coats which made up the finale were made to be reversed – and was demonstrated by models on the runway who undressed/dressed each other to the delight of the crowd – and provided a small moment of unexpected theatre to the show, especially as a deep purple colour was unveiled. Known as a noble colour it also reflects the way in which Yamamoto continues to channel his work.
THE DIRECTION
THE WRAP UP
Breaking with the status quo for Yamamoto his fall 2025 collection looked to ties as a way to tether clothes to the body which culminated in a section of coats that were reversed on the runway to demonstrate their duality for modern life.
