The overarching theme for the Y-3 collection this season was the “hyper-natural.” “It’s taking the natural world and making it more beautifully enhanced than the eye can actually see in the visual world,” explained Stefano Pierre Beruschi, head of design, Adidas collaborations and partnership.
Y-3 is the 23-year-old partnership between Yohji Yamamoto and Adidas.
One of the key fabric innovations for fall is a highly synthetic metallic sportswear nylon that is cold-dyed, to a unique effect, then scanned, printed and flocked. The effect is eye-catching and simultaneously soft, cold, smooth and slippery to the touch. It was fashioned into clothing, such as a pullover anorak.
There’s often a tension between natural fibers and high-performance synthetic materials in this collection that spans sportswear to eveningwear — cue the off-the-shoulder hyper-stretch dress.
Some shells can be modulated with three-stripe straps, so the wearer controls the volumes. Gore-Tex is artfully taped, binded, bonded, surged and fused in various garments.
Marathon shorts have an underlayer of stretch leggings. There are oversize, extra-length shirts with hidden details, like pockets-within-pockets; coveralls; down jackets; cargo pants, and military trousers.
A scarf seconds as modular sleeves, and a shrug can fit snugly over that, as a base layer. An espadrille with a brick-like sole slips into a supple leather boot.
New looks from Y-3 Atelier, the recent line parlaying patterns from Yamamoto’s archival runway pieces, will drop in March.