Yoshiki Hayashi — known mononymously as Yoshiki — is a household name here in Japan due to his piano-playing prowess and storied history as one of Japan’s most celebrated rockstars. But he has also been working on something off the stage and on the runway. Debuting at the Milan Fashion Week fall/winter 2024 shows was Maison Yoshiki Paris, his luxury fashion brand.
Introducing Masion Yoshiki Paris
Attendees at the press conference for the collection were said to be transfixed by the world created by Yoshiki as an artist. The fashion line fuses his visions of fashion, design and lifestyle with a global view of what is glamorous and genderless. The collection is predominantly black with a few pieces accented in red or white. Silhouettes range from body hugging to billowing, but all carry the message of modern, romantic and edgy. In total, 37 items were created for this cutting-edge line ,which includes apparel, accessories and shoes.
“It’s going to be a feminine but also genderless collection, flamboyant with a rebellious touch, which has always been important to me. All the natural and eco-responsible materials are sourced from Italy and France.” said Yoshiki prior to the event.
Mixing Music and Fashion
All the music used throughout the show was composed by Yoshiki, with the third act, a composition in collaboration with fellow musician and designer, Hiroshi Fujiwara. At the end of the walk, Yoshiki took to his iconic crystal piano and played “Nessun dorma” from Puccini’s opera Turandot in a special arrangement by the man himself.
While Maison Yoshiki Paris is his newest endeavor, it isn’t Yoshiki’s first foray into fashion. The rock star was born into a family of kimono creators and first produced Yoshikimono back in 2009. It has taken top billing Tokyo Fashion Week several times since 2015 and Yoshiki himself was the first Japanese male to be featured on the cover of Vogue Japan.
The entire performance can be viewed on the Maison Yoshiki Paris website. The collection doesn’t seem to be for sale just yet, but keep an eye out on the website as that may change at any moment.
