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InspirationIllustration

Beautiful illustrations convey the essence of Japanese fashion design

"I have always been inspired by designers who break the mould, form new shapes and take creativity in new directions," says Ben the Illustrator, aka Somerset-based creative Ben O'Brien. "Yohji Yamamoto has done this for decades."

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Stylised illustration of a figure in a black avant-garde dress with exaggerated winglike shoulders against a grey background

He's talking about the influential fashion designer based in Tokyo and Paris, now 73, who's known for his avant-garde tailoring featuring Japanese design aesthetics. Yamamoto's work has inspired O'Brien to create a series of stunning illustrations, distilling down the essence of the fashion designer's work to its bare and beautiful fundamentals.

"It was a pleasure to research through the Yohji Yamamoto archives and pick items to translate them into my own graphic style," says O'Brien. He's selling 300mm x 400mm archival quality giclée prints of his series at his online store.

Stylised figure wearing a black top and bold red asymmetrical dress against a dark background, illustrating Yohji Yamamoto's avant-garde design aesthetic
Stylised illustration of a dramatic red silhouette figure against layered grey and blue tones with a white moon, framed in white matting
Stylised illustration of a figure in white and dark clothing against a blue background, printed on white-bordered paper tilted at an angle
Stylised illustration of a black silhouetted figure wearing an avant-garde garment with white dotted pattern details, against a teal background
Minimalist silhouette of a hunched figure beneath a white cloud against a blue background, printed on white-bordered paper
Ben O'Brien at his desk surrounded by design inspiration and creative materials
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