Yohji Yamamoto?

Yohji Yamamoto is known to the fashion industry as an internationally Japanese designer whose first stores originated in Tokyo and Paris in 1981. Soon after Yamamoto was fully established as this influential avant-garde designer with his two major commercial lines, Yohji Yamamoto (women and men) and Y’s, which are available in all his stores. After the launch and success of his establishments in both Paris in Tokyo, Yamamoto franchised his stores to New York, Antwerp and also in high-end department stores around the world.

In 2007, Yohji Yamamoto Inc. reported the sales of Yamamoto’s two main lines ranging above $100 million annually.

With high class fashion shows promoting his designs the first couple of years his main lines were selling to consumers and other fashion moguls, consequently making his business thrive. As the years past Yamamoto tried to keep up and contend with current designers and tried to collaborate with other brands and artists, but that only lasted so long. According to StyleCaster, his attempt at aggressively spreading and expanding his brand’s particularly in American and European markets, ultimately led to the debts that accumulated to more than sixty-five million dollars.

In October 2009, Yohji Yamamoto’s company filed for bankruptcy protection hoping to eventually start anew. His hope dwindled within the last year. On January 14, 2010, it was announced that Yohji Yamamoto’s New York store located on Mercer in SoHo will close for good this June.

Although his store is closing in New York, his designs may still be found in some department stores located in the city.

While visiting the location on Mercer Street I stopped to speak to some pedestrians inquiring their feelings on the closing. “The store was very extravagant, but I could never afford anything in there,” a woman with a Macy’s bag in her hand states. “Yohji Yamamoto? Never heard of him or his designs,” says a man who I assumed was in his late 30’s, who states he jogs down this street every morning.