Yohji Yamamoto Exhibition at The Victoria & Albert Museum Review

Walking on the rain-sodden streets of London umbrella-less is bad. Entering a freezing exhibition when you’re soaked through is even worse. Add caffeine-jitters and indigestion from wolfing down a sub-par potato salad and it’s a wonder I even lasted five minutes in the V&A’s Yohji Yamamoto Exhibition. I thought to myself “this better be mind-blowing”.

Yohji Yamamoto, born in Tokyo 1943, is considered one of the most influential designers since the early 80s, mixing humour with reinterpretation of classic shapes and juxtaposition of contempory trends. For such a powerful figure, you would expect to see fireworks at one of his exhibitions. No such luck. Yamamoto himself had control over the presentation of his work and collaborations with various artists using a range of media, thus the layout was minimalistic so as not to detract from the intricacy of his pieces. Sparse walls, hanging lights and scaffolding (a theme slightly overused in the art world), which separated video installations from a selection of clothed mannequins had a half-finished industrial feeling to it, with the viewers’ atmospheric anticipation failing to fill the void.

The display begins with a succession of his catwalks and films on wall-mounted video screens– a personal favourite was the Male/Female ’98 Show where only women modelled the men’s range (look out for Dame Vivienne Westwood in a three-piece suit playing the part of a cocky gad about town). To see the clothes live in action, albeit on grainy film, is the best part of the attraction. His fashion designs, arranged in small groups around the more elaborate pieces, are a letdown after viewing the shows. Instead of my jaw dropping upon seeing the real McCoy, I was left wanting more. The dresses were incredibly designed, but lifeless without the narrative of the catwalk and the model’s performance. Yamamoto’s skill as an artist, directing an all-round presentation, is what has helped spear-head his critical acclaim: the elements of his shows combine to make an unforgettable experience, but when separated you are all too aware something is missing.

My advice is to avoid the cold and the rain: watch his shows online instead. That way you’ll avoid disappointment.