Veteran designer Yamamoto dazzles with his unconventional style at Paris Fashion Week

PARIS (Reuters) – Models draped in asymetrical outerwear, loosely tailored dresses and ruffled detailing showcased Yohji Yamamoto’s spring summer collection on Friday in Paris, his latest lineup of poetically unstructured designs.

The 79 year-old Japanese designer’s hypnotic voice rang out from the soundtrack as models slowly paraded his signature colour: black.

Fabrics varied from pleats to knots, with draping and cutouts even on flat shoes, while oversized hats added dimension to the monochromatic silhouettes.

The designer’s singular aesthetic, which does not follow any trend, is built with floating draperies and complicated constructions and has drawn a close following of aficionados of his work.

Front-row guests including American rapper Tyga took in the show in the Paris city hall, where models presented floating blouses with uneven hems, lace tops crossed with zippers and puffy skirt with matching jacket under rows of dangling chandeliers. Known for playing with gender codes, Yamamoto, emphasized the woman’s body with corseted jackets.

Some looks featured white and bronze graphics, conjuring traditional Japanese calligraphy and baroque artistic prints.

(Reporting by Laetitia Volga; Editing by Mimosa Spencer and Frances Kerry)