Yohji Yamamoto Drawings

Tracing Yohji Yamamoto’s creative journey from his Paris Collection debut in 1981 through 1999, “Yohji Yamamoto Drawings” is a book featuring previously unpublished drawings. This volume offers the first opportunity to explore the creative process that has supported Yohji Yamamoto’s innovative creations.

“This book is the story of a discovery.”

So begins the foreword by Alexandre Samson, fashion historian and curator.

Hundreds of bundles of paper preserved in a warehouse in Tokyo were discovered to contain original drawings by Yohji Yamamoto himself. These were design sketches for the women’s and men’s collections presented between his Paris Collection debut in 1981 and 1999, revealing the creative sources behind collections that had a profound influence on fashion in the latter half of the 20th century. Yohji Yamamoto himself modestly refers to them simply as “drawings.”

Flame-like coats, figures with sloping shoulders, elegant dresses—these are not merely drawings created for the purpose of design. They are precious records that offer a glimpse into Yohji Yamamoto’s distinctive aesthetic and creative thought. Until now, the collection has never been presented in its entirety, with only a limited number of works having been introduced publicly.

The book features works personally selected by Yohji Yamamoto. Renowned graphic designer Peter Saville has been commissioned for the book design, presenting Yamamoto’s creative world from an unprecedented perspective. Through design drawings and sketches from both the women’s and men’s collections, the book traces the journey of an artist who has continued to explore the possibilities of fashion, making it an essential volume for anyone with a passion for fashion.

“Design drawings are neither detailed paintings, theatrical illustrations, nor manga. Whether they are good or bad at drawing is irrelevant. They could be described as a kind of code shared between the designer and the pattern maker as human beings.”

— Yohji Yamamoto, My Dear Bomb (2010)

Yohji Yamamoto Drawings
Release Date: Friday, November 6, 2026
Available at: Yohji Yamamoto and Yohji Yamamoto POUR HOMME stores nationwide, and the official web store THE SHOP YOHJI YAMAMOTO

Author
Alexandre Samson is a fashion historian and curator at the Palais Galliera, Musée de la Mode de la Ville de Paris. He is the co-author of Givenchy Catwalk and has curated and overseen numerous exhibitions, including “Margiela Galliera 1989–2009,” “Back Side / Fashion from Behind,” “1997 Fashion Big Bang,” and “Rick Owens, Temple of Love.”