Loved by David Bowie and Lady Gaga, colourful icon Kansai Yamamoto added flamboyance to fashion
The fashion world has lost a colourful soul with the death of Kansai Yamamoto; loved by celebrities and fashion houses like Gucci and Louis Vuitton, his vibrant and colourful designs brought Japanese pop culture to the world
Kansai Yamamoto first sought to become a civil engineer, before indulging himself in fashion and becoming one of Japan’s most celebrated designers. In homage to the colourful, fantastical world he created, here are five fascinating titbits to remember the giant of Japanese design by, whose death was announced earlier this week, aged 76, after he was diagnosed with leukaemia.
He championed countercultures, individualism, self-expression and dressing in out-of-the-box ways
Fashion for Kansai, as he preferred to be called, was more than just clothes. “Fashion has the power to make people happy,” he is quoted on his website. Instead of adhering to the simplistic wabi-sabi concept, Kansai preferred to live in basara, which champions life in vibrancy and colour. He was nicknamed both the “Kaleidoscope King” and “Father of Basara”.
“Basara means to dress freely, with a stylish extravagance,” the designer told the V&A. “It is colourful and flamboyant and it lies at the heart of my design.”
Kansai launched his fashion career in London in 1971, the first Japanese designer to do so
Kansai was in his twenties when he debuted and he thrived in London’s 70s youthquake. His bold, humorous and festive aesthetic was embraced, giving him international recognition and leading him to stage shows in Tokyo, New York and Paris soon after.
His aesthetic inspired many of today’s top designers
In 2018, Nicolas Ghesquière joined forces with Yamamoto as muse and collaborator for Louis Vuitton’s cruise collection, where Kansai's famous graphic art prints were translated into sequinned dresses.