It’s easy to interpret a sense of wild romance in this collection, with its remarkable fabric manipulations—knotted at the bust or hips, torn and reassembled like a woman piecing herself back together with whatever materials she could find. There were exaggerated buckled straps, leggings scribbled with indecipherable words, and jagged edges jutting from skirts. The models, with smoky winged eyeshadow around one eye and veils of lace, embodied a balance between fragility and power—a theme many designers seem to be exploring this season.

“Dreamy but also quite dark,” is how pianist Pavel Kolesnikov described the emotional arrangement of Bach, Gluck, Ravel, and Japanese compositions he performed live at the show’s edge. The final act was accompanied by a recording of Leonard Cohen’s *You Want It Darker*, echoing, “Vilified, crucified, in the human frame / A million candles burning for the help that never came…”

So, where was Yohji Yamamoto leading us this season? Not to the end of the line, it seems. These “broken outfits” were not a somber meditation on life, but something more innocent. “Kids, they made it!” Yamamoto said with an upbeat grin. Playful, then? “Playful, maybe, but it was very hard to play.”

Yet, this was far from child’s play. The collection featured an explosion of textures—foiled, felted, floaty—breaking all conventional rules of construction. Still, the models moved with ease, hands nestled in cutouts, unbothered by the twisting cords and sweeping volumes. One standout piece, a white lace dress with a dark pinstriped overlay cascading from a portrait collar to a dramatic train, was undeniably elegant and refined.

Yamamoto’s work has always embraced contradictions. How else could monochromatic, amorphous shapes loosely attached to a dress come off as sophisticated? Or how denim swirls and jacquard could feel both luxurious and raw? The sheer variety of fabrics felt like they’d been collected from years of past collections. “Very good and bad question. We made them,” Yamamoto responded, ever cryptic.

At this stage in his career, with another book (created with M/M Paris) launching soon, Yamamoto continues to push his creative boundaries. As Picasso once said, “It took me four years to paint like Raphael, but a lifetime to draw like a child.” This collection beautifully blended complexity with childlike intuition.

The show’s finale featured loosely constructed looks in a bold, arresting red, bringing things to a blunt close, as if leaving an unsaid statement. Architect Jean Nouvel called it a kind of beauty that is both “sober and styled.” While interpretations of a Yamamoto show may vary, the applause as he took his bow alongside Kolesnikov left no doubt—the admiration was unanimous.