The right balance brings together strikingly different elements to create a harmonious result.

Yohji Yamamoto is a true master in finding the perfect equilibrium between conflicting features. Soft and hard seamlessly bound in his Spring / Summer 2016 Men’s collection, which showcased an eclectic mix of sportswear, pictorial references and sartorial know-how. Once again Yamamoto’s starting point was the urban environment: safety stripes, like the ones that mark military areas and sites under construction, inspired the graphic make-up and the eye-popping stripes that stretched over deconstructed jackets matching drop crotch-pants for “relaxed” businessmen. Fitted grey and black suits came in a wrinkled stretchy fabric that allow complete freedom of movement while keeping the tailored yet casual feeling of the overall silhouette. Paint brushed floral patterns and bold colorful prints made in collaboration with a Japanese artist embody the “poetic” side of the collection. Renowned for his witty self-irony, Yohji Yamamoto played on his status of so-called “designer master” by sending out paper bag invitations adorned with his own hand-painted effigy and an I’m for rent mention. Sketches of his skeleton performing mundane tasks like walking out the dog highlighted the paradoxical shift between the man and the icon, which eventually suggests to forget the “persona” to fully focus on the carefully executed, timeless and sophisticated designs.