SHOW TIME: An upcoming exhibition staged at Milan-based concept store 10 Corso Como is promising to shed a new light on the work of Yohji Yamamoto.
The Japanese designer’s poetic approach to fashion will be celebrated in a show dubbed “Yohji Yamamoto. Letter to the Future” running from May 16 to July 31.
Curated by Alessio de’Navasques, a lecturer in fashion archives at Sapienza University of Rome, the exhibit will aim to establish a “dialogue between iconic pieces from the runway, recent and future collections, in an ascending and immersive climax,” according to a statement provided by the retailer.
While many details are still under wraps, the showcase will play with the idea of continuity between past and present and will be staged in the Galleria venue, one of the areas that has been recently revamped as part of the 10 Corso Como building’s complete makeover. Returned to its industrial flair, the bright and essential space will contribute to the visual impact of Yamamoto’s signature black garments.
The project will follow in the footsteps of some major shows spotlighting the designer’s work worldwide hosted throughout the years. For one, in 2005 the “Correspondences” exhibition in Florence during Pitti Immagine Uomo’s 67th edition displayed 90 outfits from the designer’s career at the Galleria d’Arte Moderna in the city’s Palazzo Pitti. Here the clothes were juxtaposed with the museum’s collection of paintings and sculptures from artists such as Antonio Canova, Giovanni Dupré and Giuseppe De Nittis. The show was followed by a separate one at the Musée de la Mode et du Textile of the Louvre, continuing the conversation between art and fashion in Paris.
In 2011, the Victoria and Albert Museum also staged Yamamoto’s first major solo show in the U.K. with an installation-based retrospective designed by his longtime collaborator Masao Nihei, featuring more than 80 women’s and menswear garments. In December 2016, the “Painting and Weaving Opportunity” exhibition featuring clothes, sculptures and art installations created by Yamamoto himself bowed in Tokyo.
The new showcase in Milan is part of 10 Corso Como’s increasing focus on boosting its cultural programming.
Founded in 1991 by Carla Sozzani, 10 Corso Como was acquired by Tiziana Fausti in 2020. The latter is the founder of the namesake luxury multibrand store in the Italian city of Bergamo. Since her takeover, Fausti not only launched structural renovation works but also appointed Gianluca Borghi as chief executive officer, tasking him with the expansion of the concept store brand worldwide.
