Yohji Yamamoto

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Three days into the Paris collections and Yohji Yamamoto staged what most people will agree was the best collection we've seen so far in Europe.

Elements of Grand Guignol, Fifties existential movies, industrial punk and gamine chic permeated this show by Yamamoto, a regular Japanese visitor to Paris for three decades.

Intriguingly in a season dominated by almost hallucinogenic quantities of color, Yamamoto made his clothes basically out of two colors, black and silver.

His collection was great fashion in the sense that it suggested another, not seen before world. If Rodchenko had of been born in Beijing you could imagine him dreaming up something like this.

Linking classic, crinolines, courtiers' jackets, fabric rosettes with edgy, worn silver leather or chain straps made everything look unexpected and new.
His standout looks were an askew silver mini flight jacket over flight captain jumpsuit and silver Doctor Martins boots or a sensationally elegant Juliette Greco black silk jersey gown with silver "seaweed" multi straps. Great looks that had elegance, and even a sense of awe. Yamamoto is often said to make clothes that "protect" women, given their generous volumes, but this show had lots of faded metal, sexy clothes, the kind men love cool women to wear.

"I want to reflect light, but softly," was the designer's explanation of the silvery obsession.

Yamamoto took an easy bow, a shy Dersu Uzalu smile before the audience. The hour was late, everyone was tired, but the short, sharp intensity of the applause showed how highly people thought of this show.