Yohji Yamamoto was born on 3rd October 1943, in Yokohama, Japan, and is a fashion designer, the winner of many important awards, among others the Master of Design award by Fashion Group International, the Royal Designer for Industry, the Chevalier of Ordre des Arts et des Lettres as well as the Ordre National du Mérite. Yamamoto has been active in the fashion industry since 1972.
How much is the net worth of Yohji Yamamoto? It has been estimated by authoritative sources that the overall size of his wealth is as much as $900,000, as of the data presented in early 2018. Fashion is the main source of Yamamoto’s modest fortune.
Yohji Yamamoto Net Worth $900,000
To begin with, Yamamoto grew up with his mother, a seamstress and war widow. For her sake he studied law at Keio University, but then completed a fashion study program at the Bunka Fukuso Gakuin in Tokyo.
Concerning his professional career, initially he designed garments for his wife and her friends, before in 1968 obtaining a scholarship to specialize in fashion design in Paris. In 1974 he started his own company, and came out with his first collection. In 1981, his creations were on the catwalk in Paris, and a year later the designer presented his collection in New York; hardly any colours or accessories appear in his creations. For his designs, he acquired the Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et Lettres and the Mainichi Fashion Grand Prize in 1986. Since 2003, he has been responsible for the Production Line Y-3 for the Adidas brand, and has also made designs for other fashion brands such as Hermès and Mandarina Duck. In 2007, his work was exhibited at the Fashion Museum in Antwerp, and at the end of the year, Yamamoto opened a new store in the former Modenatie Forum in Antwerp, considerably enhancing his net worth.
He is known for collaborations with artists of various kinds, including Elton John, Placebo, Takeshi Kitano, for whom he created the costumes for the films which gave the designer the opportunity to show different sides of his aesthetic. Yamamoto’s clients have included Chris Lowe, Steve McQueen, Anna Oxa and Justin Theroux. In 2009, Yamamoto’s company suffered a financial crisis after weak sales – management errors and a debt of EUR 45 million were cited as reasons for the bankruptcy. Yamamoto himself was the owner and creative director of his house, but had employed managers for the business. Thus the majority of the shares of the company were taken over by the Japanese investment company Integral KK. Two Yamamoto boutiques in New York were closed at the end of 2009, and the business in Antwerp was closed in 2010, but the flagship stores in London, Paris and Aoyama (Tokyo) remained open. The Y’s men’s collection has been discontinued or integrated into the men’s line entitled Yohji Yamamoto Homme. However, Yamamoto’s fashions have always been in the top price segment. In 2010, he presented his mainly in-black collection in the Yoyogi Arena with prominent models, in front of over 3000 attendees, starting the show with a personal apology: “Forgive me for forgetting Japan”.
Finally, in the personal life of the designer, he is apparently single, but has been married; Yamamoto’s daughter Limi Yamamoto, is also a fashion designer. She debuted with her own fashion line on the catwalk in Paris in 2007.
