Loved by David Bowie and Lady Gaga, colourful icon Kansai Yamamoto added flamboyance to fashion
Kansai Yamamoto first sought to become a civil engineer, before indulging himself in fashion and becoming one of Japan’s most celebrated designers. In homage to the colourful, fantastical world he created, here are five fascinating titbits to remember the giant of Japanese design by, whose death was announced earlier this week, aged 76, after he was diagnosed with leukaemia.
He championed countercultures, individualism, self-expression and dressing in out-of-the-box ways
Fashion for Kansai, as he preferred to be called, was more than just clothes. “Fashion has the power to make people happy,” he is quoted on his website. Instead of adhering to the simplistic wabi-sabi concept, Kansai preferred to live in basara, which champions life in vibrancy and colour. He was nicknamed both the “Kaleidoscope King” and “Father of Basara”.
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“Basara means to dress freely, with a stylish extravagance,” the designer told the V&A. “It is colourful and flamboyant and it lies at the heart of my design.”
Kansai launched his fashion career in London in 1971, the first Japanese designer to do so
Kansai was in his twenties when he debuted and he thrived in London’s 70s youthquake. His bold, humorous and festive aesthetic was embraced, giving him international recognition and leading him to stage shows in Tokyo, New York and Paris soon after.
His aesthetic inspired many of today’s top designers
In 2018, Nicolas Ghesquière joined forces with Yamamoto as muse and collaborator for Louis Vuitton’s cruise collection, where Kansai's famous graphic art prints were translated into sequinned dresses.
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Earlier this year, menswear designer Rick Owens paid tribute to Kansai’s iconic Tokyo Pop bodysuit in his 2020 fall repertoire. The 70s-inspired designs were matched with extravagant silhouettes.
Other notable collections that exude a touch of Kansai include Jeremy Scott's New York debut in 2002, inspired by The Jetsons and Kansai’s peaked shoulders; Marc Jacobs’ spring 2011 repertoire for Louis Vuitton, which Jacobs told Vogue is influenced by Kansai, the first designer he has worked for; and Gucci's 2018 spring collection by Alessandro Michele, commemorating his and Elton John’s long-time friendship, which inevitably references the costumes Kansai has created for the singer.
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Kansai best manifested the creature-from-outer-space of Bowie’s alter ego. A signature look was the Tokyo Pop black vinyl jumpsuit, which had white stripes in semicircle patterns that made the piece look like a record. Bowie sported the look with red hair and red platform boots.
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From reworking kimonos to his yakko warrior prints, Kansai drew inspiration from his Japanese roots
The New York Times noted how Kansai used folding, pleating and twisting techniques to create three-dimensional effects on his fabrics, adding braiding and fringing styles that take cues from the Japanese kumihimo techniques of decorative plaiting.
Characteristic of Chinese and Japanese paintings are two-dimensional artworks that Kansai also weaves into his clothes. A fan of theatre and the stage, Kansai also fashioned kabuki elements and characters into his outfits.
The fashion world is a shade less vibrant with his death.
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The fashion world has lost a colourful soul with the death of Kansai Yamamoto; loved by celebrities and fashion houses like Gucci and Louis Vuitton, his vibrant and colourful designs brought Japanese pop culture to the world