David Bowie preferred to create the special costumes for his shows, he met Kansai Yamamoto in 1973. That time, the Japanese designer created the “Space Samurai” jumpsuit that based on the hakama, traditional Japanese men’s trousers worn with the kimono.
It was a pure delight when David Bowie wore the “Space Samurai” jumpsuit while his Ziggy Stardust tour in Japan in 1973. The original idea of the local designer Kansai Yamamoto became the part of the fashion history, no doubt. The sculptural, abstract shapes were ideal to be seen from the back of a stadium — which is probably what attracted Bowie to them in the first place.
In 2017, designer Kansai Yamamoto presents his new collection, full of vibrant colours and linked to the Japanese concept of basara — a love of colour and flamboyance. The new collection is more readily associated with the Azuchi–Momoyama period of Japanese art, a brief, opulent era between the mid-16th and early 17th centuries. The art of that period was pretty basara — lavish, decorative, often bold, even aggressive.
The Japanese designers always had a lot of exotic clothing in their collection but Kansai Yamamoto’s style is really unique. Undoubtedly, every his defile becomes an unforgettable event in the world of fashion – Japanese style is more than just fashion, believes the designer.
