10 Years of Y-3
Fashion label Y-3 is celebrating a decade of its pioneering sports-meets-style aesthetic this year – a look that continues to meld the avant-garde genius of Japanese designer Yoji Yamamoto with the breakthrough innovation of sports giant Adidas. The label’s Autumn/Winter collection for 2013 will serve as a retrospective reinterpretation of its groundbreaking work, which has since been adopted by so many other sports brands. “My desire was, and is to make sportswear elegant and chic” says Yamamoto.
To accompany this milestone collection, Y-3 have commissioned a compilation album in collaboration with Alex Prat, aka Alex from Tokyo (Tokyo Black Star, World Famous NYC) and 14 innovative electronic music producers. The CD and vinyl sets will be specially packaged with artwork by PL Studio.
Just like the Y-3 brand itself, the music featured blurs the boundaries of style, featuring a mix of both established and emerging artists. Noteworthy contributors include one half of acclaimed duo Âme and co-founder of Berlin-based label Innervisions, Frank Wiedemann, eccentric and reclusive maven Maurice Fulton and New York DJ Joaquin “Joe” Claussell of the famed Body & Soul parties.
Japan artists also feature, with long-time Y-3 collaborator Jiro Amimoto and prolific producer Kaoru Inoue both contributing material. Alex from Tokyo pulls double-duty, contributing a track from his and Isao Kumano’s Tokyo Black Star project as well as mixing the CD version of the release.
The Y-3 compilation will be released in mid-September via the Y-3 website, retail stores, and social media outlets. The compilation will be available on CD in both mixed and unmixed format, along with 500 special-edition vinyl box sets with free digital downloads.
Head over to XLR8R for an exclusive download of Mano Le Tough’s contribution to the compilation, “Being Yourself“.
Words: Mark Birtles
Translation: Asuka O.
September 2, 2013
