Shinpei Yamagishi is in a contemplative but celebratory mood. He will soon be a father, and this collection, titled Symbol, is about “the joy of giving new life and the happiness we feel in the time we spend getting ready to welcome it into our lives,” he said over email. The tone of his new collection is light and playful, but still inward-looking.
Yamagishi often uses symbols in his work, some graphic and overt, and others subtle. For spring, he expanded on this signature by exaggerating the elements he focused on. Wonky stars, sparkle-shaped buttons, and whimsical tulips and apples recurred throughout, as did a cheeky “symbol” button and a mix of toy jewelry and authentic pearls. Picture “a small child being interested in them and wanting to play with them or reach out to touch them,” Yamagishi said. “It’s about a future that is beginning.”
He explained that he wanted these elements to be standout differentiators, so that, even if folks don’t know the name of his brand, they can identify the items by the symbols. The pants with the cutout apple, or the jacket with the flower. This is likely to work best with the details that are not removable, like the cutouts or the embroideries, but allowing customers to choose how far they’d like to engage with these elements is a solid commercial move.
The collection was at its most believable where Yamagishi’s touch was lightest, both in cut and ornamentation. A crisp, elongated button-down paired with wide navy trousers was a standout look, as was a blue shirtdress styled under a beige coat. His tailoring was strong this time around; the proportion of his flared trousers—some cuffed and hemmed, and others left frayed—looked just right. Key items like a leather jacket and airy, military-like bombers added a necessary edge to the collection, as did the heeled Mary Janes paired with most looks.
There is an intrinsic fluidity to Yamagishi’s work, and while he says he is happy that women find his clothes interesting and appealing, he asserts he is making men’s clothes, “specifically, in terms of the cut and the amount of fabric,” he said. “Of course, not in a stereotypical way,” he made sure to note, but “for the man in this moment or in the new era.”
