For newfriends, Y-3 is the ongoing collaboration between fashion designer Yohji Yamamoto and sportswear company Adidas. It is known for being futuristic as well as somewhat more focused on functionality than many fashion lines. The overall aesthetic is a more technologically-focused version of Yamamoto's typical un-fitted, spare, mostly black style. (no Y-3 general so I figured I'd throw this in even though most of you are no doubt familiar with Y-3)
As for this show in particular, I was personally intrigued by the space-faring look of many of the fits. Boots seemed moon-worthy. Backpacks had hydration packs installed for long treks. Huge visors could be shielding from solar radiation. The clear cables running throughout some of the fits suggested fiber optics or IV tubes to me, both of which are interesting prospects. Y-3 shows often focus on black, white, red, blue and perhaps one other color, and in this show the almost medical teal seemed to encapsulate the idea of living in an antiseptic environment, or else perhaps a recollection of a previous blue-green world that is no longer home.
In an interview with fashion writer Luke Leitch regarding the show, Yamamoto says, "It might be beautiful in the street."
no matter how much adjectives you slap on this show is a 5-6 out of 10 at best
y3 isn't even yohji at this point
Mason Long
true, y3 is y3. who else is really pushing the space and tech angles in fashion? Rick and LV are the only ones that come to mind, and they do other things better imo. if you don't dig those themes that's fine, but that's a big part of the nature of Y-3 y'know?
Carson Gray
legitimately curious as to what shows you'd rate near/at 10/10
Xavier Jones
thom browne ss17 in recent memory
issey pushes tech in a topological aspect, for lack of a better word, and has always since his start
errolson barely does cutting edge stuff nowadays. desu technical developments died when osti died
Evan Morales
He didn't ask for cutting edge stuff, just designers pushing tech themes in fashion.
Landon Rivera
i dont know mate, he said "pushing the space and tech angles in fashion" with the keyword being pushing. i may be misreading it though, so OP clarify it
Kayden Green
few of those tops and ponchos look fucking sick
i have a raging hard-on for the new shoes that show up in 1/2 the fits (with the color detail blocking), as well as the sandals.
Blake Young
fair enough I took that to mean highlighting/representing space and tech themes in the work rather than 'pushing the bounds' or something
Gabriel Parker
why don't you fuck the shoes then, user? ;)
Jaxon Gray
OP here, both interpretations are valid. with technology it's good if you are taking care to exist in the present rather than fall behind into referencing the past, but sometimes it's good to ponder the past as well.
the shoes are pretty sick, especially the ones with the lateral lines over the forefoot and the blue and green elastic ones. might post some pics later to be specific.
Eli Brown
>all those cyber space ninja shoes I do want this shit
Austin Lopez
1/2 fav shoes
Evan Wilson
2/2
Andrew Evans
3/3 actually can't leave these puppies out
Thomas Johnson
nike shook
Parker Taylor
Nice cape. Are we actually going to get black Qasas in female sizes?
Pretty nice, looks like a good lift for you small boys out there.
Austin Reed
Wow these are fucking lit familia Nike must be visibly shook right now.
Joseph Lopez
I mean Nike has a huge lead on Adidas in profit margin, and they make a lot of good performance stuff, but Adidas has been making more stylish apparel than Nike from the beginning. idk how worried Nike is about Adidas biting into their market but I think Adi is just trying to do something different from Nike.
Christopher Watson
Adidas is taking more and more of the streetwear market but in terms of performance gear they are loosing ground fast. High Snobiety did a peice on this a while back.
interesting article, thanks for posting. it seems to me that what Adi is doing right nowadays has more to do with fashion than function. if I want a good pair of performance shoes I'm probably going to hit up Nike or some other sportswear giant, whereas if I want something casual to wear around town or a shoe that makes a statement I would sooner go with Adidas. their collabs with Yohji, Rick, White Mountaineering and in a different category, Kanye and Pharrell have resulted in some really cool and interesting products, and the tubular line is in the same vein. even the boost family is a nice hybrid between looks and performance. Nike continues to focus on performance, which is good for what it is, but at least in my opinion they often fall short in their sense of style, where Adidas really shines. anyway, it's not like Adidas is going anywhere; they may be dwarfed by Nike but they're still an absurdly large company. I'm sure Adidas will be able to capitalize on the emerging market of active/sporty people who actually want to dress themselves.
just my humble opinion
Liam Cook
Adidas obviously has room to grow in the sportswear market. It's been sad to watch Nike slowly but surly push them out of fútbol especially in there home country Germany but really they just need better athletes. In terms of recognizable sport names all they really have is D Rose and Messi... And when isn't Rose injured. Look at what Curry did too UA. Adidas has had a string of poor athlete pic ups over the past few years which I hope turns around.
On the other hand I would love to see Nike push for better streetwear or simply more premium items. Nike Gyakusou is my favorite line of running clothes and I would love to see Nike hit the runway.
Austin Watson
I don't think that having the best athlete partners is what makes your sportswear better in terms of performance. I think having the best engineers, chemists and designers does that. of course, not as many people will buy your products if you don't have those big name endorsements, so I suppose that effects your R&D budget in a roundabout way. but for a counterexample look at Saucony: virtually no athlete endorsements whatsoever, and they produce some of the best running shoes on the market. I don't fully understand the economics and politics of fútbol but I do know that you don't need a celebrity partnership to make a good product.
I agree btw Gyakysou is dope
Justin Wilson
***Gyakusou
Austin Howard
adidas makes the uniforms for the nba and soccer now, and is working its way into golf and hockey
