Yoshida Ke Kiyoshi: Bridging Personal Journey and Fashion Design
Fashion designer Yoshida Ke Kiyoshi uses his art as a platform for self-exploration, delving into the complexities of his emotions, anxieties, and memories. His approach reflects a profound examination of the self, which has heightened over recent seasons towards what some may describe as a form of pathological narcissism. The outcome is a collection of dark, alluring women’s clothing that channels deeply personal themes, including Oedipal influences.
An Intimate Runway Experience
The atmosphere of Yoshida’s runway shows is often highly personal, set in spaces that hold significance for him. Last year’s showcase took place at his alma mater, while this season he chose Rosa Kaikan, a retro arcade, cinema, and bookstore situated on a nostalgic street in northern Tokyo. This location holds sentimental value for Yoshida, who spent many lonely hours there as a teenager. “It was one of the places that helped me satisfy that loneliness,” he reflected, reminiscing about his childhood as a “Kagiko,” or latchkey kid.
A Unique Fashion Showcase
As attendees gathered at Rosa Kaikan, the ambiance shifted from sweet anime-inspired music to an eerie white noise, signaling the arrival of models adorned in Yoshida’s creations. The collection featured a blend of elegance and experimentation, including:
- Feminine blouses paired with trench coats secured by robust belts.
- Pleated flower pencil skirts accentuating a sharp, restrained silhouette.
- A signature shirt blouse with a knot design, suggesting a sense of constraint.
- Brightly colored, oversized raincoats in vibrant hues like Canary Yellow and Turquoise.
Among the striking pieces were hooded robes that evoked the imagery of having just woken up, further amplified by one robe’s print of a Persian rug—a nod to a carpet from a childhood friend’s bedroom. The collection displayed a compelling juxtaposition of formal attire and casual, lived-in looks, exemplified by models balancing stylish bags and sporty backpacks, reflecting the busy lives of modern mothers.
Reflections and Realizations
Following the show, Yoshida engaged in candid discussions about his creative process, articulating the profound insights he has gained throughout his journey. “In the past few seasons, I have spoken about how I am facing my reality, and in the process I have created an image of a motherly figure in my mind,” he explained. According to Yoshida, this evolution in his work has prompted him to reconsider the societal distance he perceives and how it informs his vision for women’s fashion.
His recent creations are described as a means of grounding his imaginative ideals in a more tangible reality. “Reality is more important than the past, so I thought we should start expressing it more,” he stated, alluding to a breakthrough in his personal therapy that has teased out deeper connections between his experiences and his designs.
