During the 1980s the triumvirate of Japanese fashion designers - Yohji Yamamoto, Rei Kawakubo, and Issey Miyake - were lauded for their antiestablishment aesthetic. Yohji's minimalist designs emphasized cut, form, and silhouette. His menswear line, launched in 1984, bridged the avant-garde with classic tailoring.

Yohji's diverse design inspirations include European folk dress; this boiled wool jacket, for example, was inspired by Tyrolean menswear. During the 1990s Yohji hid the body with softly constructed suits or boxy jackets as seen here. This ensemble was worn by his close friend, musician John Cale, who modeled for the designer's fall/winter 1991 menswear collections.