20 years ago, Y-3 fused sportswear and fashion.
Y-3 is a collaboration between Japanese designer Yohji Yamamoto and adidas. The brand, founded in 2002, birthed an entire style of clothing, predating catch-all terms to describe how fashion relaxed itself into sportswear.
In Yamamoto’s words: “Y-3 is a strong examination of the blend of sport and style and the tension caused by mixing tradition with all that is modern.” In 2022, this doesn’t sound radical, but in the rigid early 2000s, where fashion still adored neat boxes and fine lines, Yamamoto’s intentions were wild.
In Chapter 1 of Y-3’s SS22, the brand celebrates its 20th anniversary and taps into the concept of ‘Transformative Nostalgia’, drawing on Y-3’s collective memory with pieces that distort and subvert past icons from the archive in order to revolutionise the landscapes of sport and fashion.
The release is accompanied by an explosive and dynamic campaign shot by Gabriel Moses and styled by Robbie Spencer, with creative direction from Jamie Reid.
With unique and powerful choreography from Salford’s Blackhaine, the shoot innovatively centres the campaign in motion as a group of dancers artistically reinterpret and reimagine the very notion of sporting movement. A subversive ode to Y-3’s inherent DNA, with a focus on individual moments, the series of expressive visuals explores the artistic middle ground between dance and sport.
Key pieces include this sheer nylon parka, a stripes t-shirt, and our personal favourite, a huge beach towel – for relaxing, or for when the dancing gets too much.
Browse more of Y-3 at John Anthony.
