A bit of shocking news making the internet rounds today; designer Yohji Yamamoto, famous for his epoynomous line and the Y-3 brand, has filed for bankruptcy protection in a Tokyo court. With annual profits exceeding 100 million, it’s hard to understand how this could have happened… then again, we are in ‘this economy,’ where his avant-guarde pieces (and their high pricepoints) may have simply fallen out of favour with consumers. It seems as if the strongest players in the menswear market right now are the toned-down, workwear oriented lines, as ubiquitous as they may be. Very few people I kn0w want to flaunt ‘fashion’ in this economic climate; people want to look like they’re working, or ready to work. It’s definitely tragic to see someone with Yamamoto’s legacy have to suffer through hard times financially, as his influence on the current generation of designers is undeniable. However, this recession is reshaping the way the clothing market operates, and perhaps Yamamoto is simply an unlucky victim of time, place, and consumer direction.
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