ADIDAS AND YOHJI YAMAMOTO INTRODUCE: Y-3 ATELIER

by MR Magazine Staff Mar 02, 2023

Following the recent 20th anniversary of their enduring partnership, this season, Adidas and Yohji Yamamoto are set to introduce Y-3 Atelier – a new expression for the Y-3 label centered on elevated craftsmanship and innovative design.

Since debuting on the runway over two decades ago, Y-3 has continued to forge a new path. Informed by Yohji Yamamoto’s rebellious vision, the trailblazing label has acted as a testing ground for experimentation, disrupting the status quo by bringing together the worlds of performance-inspired sportswear and avant-garde design. Now, the brand is set to upend conventions once more with Y-3 Atelier.

Conceptualized as the most crystalized execution of Y-3’s vision, the exclusive line is a dedicated offering that is set to boldly explore each season’s unique narrative arc. Highlighting a craft-focused creation process and drawing on “Monozukuri”, the Japanese phrase for “making things”, Y-3 Atelier eloquently channels Yohji’s essence – advancing an approach to production driven by skill and undeterred dedication.


In fearless pursuit of perfection and innovation, each piece from the Y-3 Atelier uses patterns that have been faithfully recreated from one-of-a-kind Yohji Yamamoto runway pieces, bringing Y-3 closer to the designer’s own label. For its inaugural collection, Y-3 Atelier reimagines dresses, track tops, jackets, skirts, pants, and beyond – adorning each with custom Three Stripes detailing in a nod to the German sportswear brand’s signature codes.

“The Three Stripes are so charming and at the same time so strong. In the black, putting three white stripes, it’s very strong. I was excited by that.” Yohji Yamamoto

Marking the occasion, the revered Japanese photographer Daido Moriyama has captured the first-ever Y-3 Atelier collection at the renowned Shibuya restaurant – Narukiyo Izakaya. Depicting models adorned in select Y-3 Atelier garments, the images highlight the shared values of both figures: a quasi-obsessive loyalty to monochromatic palettes, a desire to find magic in the everyday, and a relentless commitment to breaking all the rules.

Y-3 Atelier launches exclusively at a pop-up retail and exhibition space in Paris hosted by SSENSE, the influential retailer and global technology platform known for its influence at the intersection of culture, community, and commerce. SSENSE will open the doors to 42 Rue de Sévigné from 11am until 7pm on March 2nd and 3rd for visitors to browse, try on, and purchase pieces from the collection, and explore a gallery exhibition featuring photographic works by Moriyama.

A bold initiative. A place for unbridled experimentation. Y-3 Atelier is where the remnants of the past return to create the future.