by Adriano B.

Pure in its pursuit of escape and athleticism, surf subculture inspired a bold direction for Y-3 Spring/Summer 2015. Shown once again during Paris Fashion Week at the Couvent des Cordeliers, the collection explored an energetic fusion of surf and punk.

Tailored sportswear in shimmering coated fabrics remained true to Y-3’s history of sport-style, which was set against a conceptual staging of colorful wooden fences and repurposed industrial materials. Models cruised the runway to the music of Jiro Amimoto, watched by a front-row crowd including Alexander Ludwig, Clemens Schick, Joe Dempsie, Juliette Gernez, Riko Narumi, Leslie Kee and Wei Chen.

At its origins, surf culture was unique in its challenge of the mainstream, eschewing convention and the status quo in favor of the next big wave. Similarly, Yohji Yamamoto has consistently pushed boundaries. For Y-3 this season, he envisioned slim-fit futuristic sportswear detailed with bright pops of color and playful prints—all of them finished with unique surf-inspired details and Y-3’s own take on traditional Hawaiian prints: lush, modern, and intoxicating.

Menswear explored dichotomies of printed and solid, tailoring and volume, hard and soft. Neat polos and T-shirts came trimmed with this season’s bold Hawaiian motifs. Suit jackets featured a subtle tone-on-tone version of the print, while button-down shirts introduced a playful pattern of seaside iconography from Paris to Honolulu.