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DESCRIPTION:Kansai Yamamoto (born 1944)\, one of the founding fathers of Ja
 panese contemporary fashion\, is best known for his work of the 1970s and 
 1980s. Inspired by the colorful art of Japan&rsquo\;s Momoyama period (156
 8&ndash\;1615) and traditional Kabuki theater\, his exuberant designs cont
 rast with the Zen-like simplicity and deconstructed silhouettes favored to
 day by designers such as Yohji Yamamoto\, Rei Kawakubo\, and Issey Miyake.
 \n\nKansai opened his first boutique in Tokyo in 1968 and eventually expan
 ded worldwide. His collections debuted in the United States in 1971 at Hes
 s&rsquo\;s in Allentown\, Pennsylvania\, a department store known for its 
 controversial fashion shows of American and European styles selected for t
 heir potential to influence ready-to-wear clothing designs. (Rudy Gernreic
 h&rsquo\;s topless bathing suit was first modeled at Hess&rsquo\;s in 1964
 .) That same year Kansai became the first Japanese designer to show in Lon
 don\, where his clothing was seen by musician David Bowie\; Bowie later co
 mmissioned Kansai to create the wardrobe for his Ziggy Stardust stage pers
 ona. The designer was again featured in Hess&rsquo\;s showing of Asian tre
 ndsetting fashions for fall/winter 1973 at One World Trade Center in New Y
 ork. All of the Kansai ensembles on view in this gallery were modeled at t
 he New York event\; several were shown earlier in London.\n\nSince his las
 t collection for fall/winter 1992\, Kansai has lent his name to licensed p
 roducts ranging from eyeglasses to tableware. His fashion show spectacular
 s have become the framework for the grand Kansai Super Shows\, the first o
 f which was held in Moscow&rsquo\;s Red Square in 1993. Others held since 
 in Japan\, Vietnam\, India\, and Berlin have drawn audiences in the hundre
 ds of thousands. Kansai recently returned to fashion as a designer of trad
 itional Japanese garments in a contemporary idiom including kimono (2004) 
 and Hanten festival&ndash\;inspired coats (2007). He continues to produce 
 Super Shows as part of a larger initiative to invigorate the arts in Japan
  and serves as a government advisor on tourism and cultural affairs.\n\nSe
 e philamuseum.org
DTSTAMP:20240418T193339Z
SUMMARY:Hello! Fashion: Kansai Yamamoto
URL:/en/events/2009/07/24/hello-fashion-kansai-yamamoto/
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