Yohji Yamamoto FW22 Collection Wows With Victorian Era Inspired Pieces

The Yohji Yamamoto FW22 collection just absolutely wowed us with their unique Victorian era inspired pieces that give me almost a steampunk fantasy vibe.

At Yohji Yamamoto’s flagship store in Tokyo played host to the label’s unveiling of their Fall/Winter 2022 collection, just in time for Paris Fashion Week.

The collection looks straight out of a Tim Burton movie – think Sweeney Todd more than Edward Scissorhands but there is a bit of that in there too. It’s almost like a mixture of Charlie Chaplin’s “Tramp” and an English gentleman.

The slouchy silhouettes in all-black? Just pure class but with a little bit of grunge thrown in there. I’ve seen the collection described as “gothic fantasy” and I think that’s a pretty accurate descriptor. The mixture of frock coats and waist coats makes it look like something out of an emo kid’s steampunk fanfiction. I mean that in the best way possible.

It isn’t just the clothes either that are working towards that aesthetic. All the models wore white makeup and had big bouffy sculpted hair with grey powder details. Now this is the stuff that really looks like Sweeney Todd and that’s awesome.

A lot of the pieces feature exposed seams and hems which may be a nod to the iconic Charles Dickens character, the Artful Dodger from Oliver Twist. This might be a coincidence but that seems unlikely given the strong Victorian theme.

Like most shows, it wasn’t just about the fashion. Polish surrealist painter, Zdzisław Beksiński, has his works used for prints on some of the pieces, including the black leopard print on some of the coats. You can also see the coats and suits featuring just little splashes of green, brown, and navy that resemble brush strokes.

There were little props used to add to the aesthetic like monocles (naturally!), brooches, crucifixes, and masks. The masks are some of the most interesting parts of the show that wouldn’t be out of place at a sexy masquerade.

Elsewhere in fashion, check out the Spirited Away luxury merch from Loewe.