Interview Magazine: Yohji Yamamoto Interview

Established in 2003, many have been left perplexed this week as to why Y-3, a collaborative brand created by Yohji Yamamoto and adidas, are celebrating their 10th anniversary during men’s fashion week. The answer is that the two contributing partners actually first combined in 2001, creating a limited run of footwear that has now been established as the most desirable pieces for any self-respecting Y-3 collector. In celebration of the decade-spanning partnership, Y-3 will host a party at Maison des Metallos in Paris on Jan. 23. In advance of the event, Interview Magazine briefly caught up with Yamamoto to discuss Y-3’s foundations and sportswear design. Key extracts of the interview have been included below.

Why were you initially interested by sportswear collaboration?

Ten years ago, together with Adidas, we created something that did not exist before and completely projected into the future. Y-3 opened a new segment, a niche in the fashion and sportswear market.

And is it still relevant today?

Today, tomorrow… I feel this is still relevant, and Y-3 is always continuing to evolve, like a child that is still growing. It is demanding, but it also is fun.

How has your sportswear designs evolved in the past decade?

My desire was and is to make sportswear elegant and chic. Adidas is a very personal inspiration to me—it enriches my creative life. I like the three stripes—the good old familiar.