Yohji Yamamoto drawings never seen before, in a book

A stunning collection of never-before published drawings from legendary designer Yohji Yamamoto, shining a light on the creative process behind his radical work, from his first show in Paris in 1981 until 1999, will be published this autumn.

Yohji Yamamoto Drawings / Text by Alexandre Samson / Published by Thames & Hudson / Releasing on October 29, 2026 / 183 illustrations / 98 euros

“This book tells the story of a discovery,” explains author and fashion curator Alexandre Samson in Yohji Yamamoto Drawings. “It all began in a warehouse in Tokyo one afternoon in May 2024. Inside a pile of cardboard boxes were many hundreds of sheets of paper, bundled together or filed in ring binders… What had initially been mistaken for paperwork was in fact original artwork, drawn by the fashion house’s founder – sketches for each of his menswear and womenswear collections, which were some of the most influential of thelate 20th century. ‘Just drawings’, Yohji Yamamoto would later modestly call them.” 

Flaming coats, slumped figures and elegant dresses: Yamamoto’s drawings are far more than preparatory sketches: they are a glimpse into his unique vision of fashion. However, they have never been fully explored and only a few examples have been seen by the world at large. Featuring both menswear and womenswear designs and sketches, they reflect an artist committed to exploring the limits of fashion. This official book is essential for all fashion lovers.

“A design sketch is not a miniature, nor is it a realistic illustration or a cartoon figure. It is not a question of how artistically accomplished the sketch is. Such sketches are best thought of as a kind of code shared by the designer and the pattern-maker.” – Yohji Yamamoto, My Dear Bomb, 2010

(Alexandre Samson is a fashion historian and curator at Palais Galliera, Paris. He is the co-author of Givenchy Catwalk and has curated exhibitions including “Margiela Galliera 1989–2009,” “Back Side / Fashion from Behind,” “1997 Fashion Big Bang” and “Rick Owens, Temple of Love.”)