22.07.2011- Fashion in Motion: Yohji Yamamoto

At the start of the month, my best friend Sarah and I went along to the Yohji Yamamoto Fashion in Motion event at the Victoria and Albert museum. We'd been to the Kenzo show last November, and were very excited to see the work of another designer up close against the backdrop of the museum's breathtaking Raphael Gallery. Celebrating the retrospective of Yamamoto's work which had been housed in the museum until only a few weeks ago, the show had an entirely different aesthetic to the Kenzo presentation and featured a selection of both menswear and womenswear. Most endearingly of all, however, the looks were modelled by real life couples from London, mirroring the approach Yamamoto took to casting his Spring/Summer 1999 menswear show, where the models were handpicked from the streets of Paris. The designs featured in the presentation showcased Yamamoto's famous approach to cutting womenswear; loose, flowing fabrics and shapes were utilised to create a distinctly androgynous feel. The menswear featured was also quite unconventional, with suits in a riot of colours and longer lines used to play with proportion.

I really enjoyed this event, and loved the fact that the models were real couples. I'm now on a mission to track down a t-shirt with the slogan 'I am a deeply superficial person' on!

Have you ever been to a Fashion in Motion event? And are you a fan of Yohji Yamamoto's work?

(Image credit: Sarah Farrell, please do not reproduce without permission. Images edited using Picnik.)

14.11.2010- Night at the museum

Last Friday, my best friend Sarah and I were lucky enough to attend the Kenzo Fashion in Motion Event which took place at the Victoria and Albert Museum as a celebration of the 40th birthday of the label. Tickets for the event were free, and as you can probably imagine, very much in demand. My frantic phone calling a few weeks ago paid off however, as we were both seated in the front row (how very exclusive!) For the event, creative director of Kenzo Antonio Marras presented a beautiful array of designs inspired by the Japanese heritage of the label (founded by Kenzo Takada in the 1970s) and the vivid culture of Marras' native Sardinia. I particularly loved the prints and the vibrant colours that were on display, as the designs presented really encapsulated the heritage of the brand, as well as demonstrating a unique fusion of cultures through fashion. The Raphael Gallery, where the event was staged, was also the perfect location for the show, as the designs really came to life against such a vast backdrop.

Sarah and I before the show.

Front row seats!

The Raphael Gallery.

The show begins...

The Japanese influence shines through in the Geisha-inspired footwear.

This outfit was so elaborately embellished, it was stunning in the flesh.

The finale.

The museum at night, doesn't it look lovely?

All in all, it was a fantastic evening; a great opportunity to see some truly visionary designs up close, and the ambience of the museum at night is brilliant. If you ever get the chance to go to one of these events, I'd really recommend it.

(Image and video credit: Sarah Farrell, please do not reproduce without permission.)