TASK #5
Dueling Eras
of an
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Kansai Yamamoto
Few artists have impacted the 20th century as profoundly as Japan's fashion designer Kansai Yamamoto. Despite not having the same instant name recognition as Andy Warhol or Alfred Hitchcock, Yamamoto's designs have been donned by some of the brightest stars of the 1970s & '80s. This has lead to massive waves, not only in the world of runway fashion, but popular media across the eastern and western worlds. Basically, if you like the aesthetics we've come to love from the later 20th century, then Kansai Yamamoto is likely your unsung hero.
From the mid 1970s to the early '90s, Yamamoto churned out bold creations and outrageous masterpieces one after the other. Originally meant to be worn by women, these Avant Garde creations caught the eye of the always daring David Bowie, who began wearing them while performing under his alter egos. This began a symbiotic artistry between Bowie the singer, and Yamamoto the fashion designer, and the two of them took the 1980s by storm. To put it simply, they were each other's creative soulmate.
After almost two decades of pushing the limits of with bold style through his outrageous silhouettes, collage imprints, and vivaciously bright colours, Kansai Yamamoto hung his designer's coat up in the early 1990s to focus on other artistic ventures. Thankfully, this hiatus did not last long. By 2000, he was back at it again, this time focusing specifically on reviving traditional Japanese garb (most notably the kimono) and bringing them "up to date" with contemporary culture. With this new goal in mind, Yamamoto ran head first into the now infamous Y2K aesthetic. Forgotten Shogun-era traditional clothing were being ushered into the limelight with loud, blindingly bright neon colours, and other strange fabric pairings that offended Japanese traditionalists, and confused the squares of the world. He would continue this uproarious and fearless output until his death in 2020.
Unsurprisingly, I want you to be inspired by Kansai Yamamoto for your next outfit in this competition.
I have provided a slideshow of some of my personal favourite Yamamoto designs from the '70s to the 2020s. I strongly recommend flipping through Google Images to get a firm grasp of the full scope of his work, as his career had "eras," and a certain time period of his work might appeal to you more than the others. Ultimately, you don't need to pick a specific time period, or outfit, to reference. I want your outfit to be designed by you, but as a homage to Kansai Yamamoto. I don't want a carbon copy of him.
Hello and welcome to your fifth panel, final ten!
I say with no hyperbole that this week's results as a cast are astounding. Easily the strongest yet.
If Kansai Yamamoto were alive today (and somehow tuned in to Habbo fashion) I think he would be very proud!
Your guest judge for this week is somebody who was a finalist in a previous Snawlterm season, and who is also a LidlTerm winner. He is one of this community's most beloved pixel artists, creative consultants, and just an all around jolly ol' guy with a very unique and iconic style. I cannot conceive of anybody better to guest judge this task, please welcome Harry (.Uhu)!
PANEL
becca (oyt)
I am surprised by the level of intricacy you're achieving with nothing more than Habbo.com accessories. Great designers spend years toiling over these accessories, looking for original combinations to present in a game, and you've found some while still being a greenhorn. The way the handbag and chest foliage icon interact against the black shirt is very pleasant, and the patterns themselves scream Yamamoto. I also love how the red + green established on the head accessories is called upon again near the feet. The fact there is so much distance between them stops them from looking Christmas-y. The only area of criticism I have for this outfit is that the jacket is quite slimming and expected; I feel a more dramatic shape would suit this task better and look more original. Regardless, this is my favourite outfit from you so far, and the first one I genuinely love. Keep up the great work.
This outfit reads very regal to me, and very expensive! I love the fact you covered the face with the really Avant Garde mask, it really lifts the whole outfit up to a whole new level, it somehow makes it really ominous! Matched with the patterns coming down your leg, and the gold accents, chefs kiss! Your styling was majestic. I think your jacket helps you bring it back down to the more wearable side of things, good job on handling a lot of things at once but still managing to edit! Very unique in comparison to the others!
Sarah (sparkle)
This is just as much a Sarah outfit as it is a Yamamoto outfit, and that is exactly what I look for when I assign these artist tribute tasks. The way you're using primary colours, head bows, and loose fabrics to amalgamate your buoyant style with his high-fashion artistry is stupefying. I also need to commend your ability to fit black precisely where it is needed, without going overboard or drowning out potentially satisfying textures. The level of growth between Season 9 you and Season 10 is apparent. My only nitpick is that I don't totally love the addition of the handbag post-outfit advice. . However, it is easily ignorable when one chooses to interpret it as a wide patch of black fabric instead. All in all, you submitted solid outfit, and I am loving the torrent of consistently daring and high quality submissions from you this season. Don't let up.
This is sooo cute! Like a present wrapped up, but make it fashion! The bright, simple colours go really well with the bold shapes. It is a very clean design. The little highlights of yellow on the outfit are very nice. I guess the only thing I'd say could be pushed further is maybe having a pattern of some sort on the skirt, or just some sort of texture in the outfit, that could really uplift your submission, and maybe bring in something unexpected! Good job overall though, I really dig the aesthetic of this!
Alan (Alanio)
Yes, the kimono is expected for this task, but I selected this outfit from your prototypes because your textures and graphics sing really loud and do a great job at evoking Yamamoto's iconic style. The skinny scarf and ribbon top are a wondrous combination, and using a muted palette to further augment their lines was smart. The bottom half of your outfit is lovely, however, I wish the palette evoked the top half more, just to give the impression of a full body kimono, instead of a large housecoat. Imagine if the black on your gown + shoes were instead the same brown as your kimono? THAT would have definitely taken this outfit from good to great. This is still a lovely outfit. albeit a tiny bit safe when compared against your fellow competitors. It seems you are designing from fear of screwing up, and that fear is stopping you from taking risks. When you avoid risks, you never uncover that truly magical, show-stopping outfit that gets remembered long after these long-terms conclude.
A more demure take on the task, despite this you manage to keep up with the pack and created something really lovely. The small details really go well, even the little red tassle on the end of the scarf which is extended by the belt, that is extremely satisfying & shows an eye for design. The weaving of the materials around your chest is gorgeous, all of these things create great harmony throughout your outfit. I am a fan of the laid back styling, the messy natural hair, it really sets you apart from the other designers who are super stylised this week. Yeah there's nothing really bad I can say about this, some of the details may be predictable but I really enjoyed it!
Arber (icearbr)
You did it again, holy hell. Extending the shape and width of the body with that grey silhouette glitch from the HabboTravel generator is some mad genius I would expect from only you and nobody else. This outfit is a clear reference to the iconic Ziggy Stardust outfit here, but there are enough differences to where it becomes wholly your own. The spangled red on the head, the cartoonishly extravagant hair that perfectly segments the "outfit" from the glitched silhouette to unite them as one, it's all quite astonishing, really. My only complaint for this outfit is that the striped jacket & pajama pants are a combination I've seen you use before, in short-terms and this week of LidlTerm. That being said, nobody's ever used it in this context, that's for damn sure. Really well done this week, you keep doing you.
Well well well!, We have all been made aware of the downfall of a particular habbo imager, and you saw that as a challenge, this speaks volumes to who you are as a designer. You used a disadvantage as your advantage and made something very artful. The patterned stripes going down your whole body is extremely striking, especially paired next to the extremely long, wavy textured hair. The way you managed to merge the hair into the grey is perfectly executed, even down to the shoe choice. The hat with the little details coming down the face really just tops it off. I really like how you didn't depend on being Avant Garde or anything drastic, it's actually very formal. An extremely superb outfit. Very neat!
Mickey (player)
I'm really enjoying the stacked gown effect that immediately makes me recall several of Yamamoto's past outfits that have contained similar outwardly flowing effects with clusters of colourful fabric. The top half of the outfit however, seems like a bit of a jarring disconnect. I like it by itself, but to sit it on top of the aforementioned flaring fabrics seems odd. I wish you chose one extreme: either by slimming the upper half all the way down to the skin to create a dramatic contrast, or, expand it outward along with the bottom to create an explosion of fabrics. Either approach I would have loved, but instead you sort of sit in the middle, and instead of Avant Garde, it just looks subdued and half-realized. Your colours however are fantastic, and I like how the top and bottom are sort of in their own zones, palette wise. This is a nice outfit, but further contemplation could have made it much, much more memorable.
Your layering doesn't feel as perfectly executed as it could be, maybe you played it a tad safe in a task where you were better to give it your all! However I do like the colour placements and choices, they come together really well letting the shape of the outfit come alive. The little nude illusion really helps too as it feels unexpected and thoughtful. Love the necklace, it looks custom made! Don't be afraid to play around a bit more with textures as I think that could've helped you a lot!
elysse (lc22)
​Your shoes are green, not black. I actually like that though, I'll imagine it was intentional because it vibes with the orange. I know it was probably difficult when I advised you to change the bottom half of your outfit, especially considering you had achieved some killer layering and original mosaic shaping. However, this version is better because it looks more like an achievable runway outfit. Your scarf and shoulder sleeves have that postmodern 1970s edge that borders on retrofuturism, and the orange cargo pants are a jarring yet cohesive pivot. Your colour palette, while totally on brand, is a bit predictable, both in the colour choices as well as how they are laid out. This outfit follows the task perfectly but for me, I am having trouble distinguishing it from the crowd this week. It's sort of just there.
This feels like it's taken from a Kansai Yamamoto summer collection, the inspiration is clear. Your outfit truly brought me joy as soon as I saw it! I think it really manages to convey a story and a feeling to us, some really good vibes here, and your layering is impeccable. The way every single outfit has an outline as if it's been hemmed with another colour. One thing this outfit manages to achieve is to show how to showcase items which maybe don't have much texture. Your colour choices really helped you this week, some really smart moves here! Honestly the more I look at it the more I like it, super stylish, and oddly wearable too!
Rae (saffrons)
The face makeup and bulky mint green shoes are so on brand for Yamamoto, I love it. Sadly, that's the extent of nice things I have to say about your submission this week, because I find everything else about this presentation to be rather predictable. Your split blue overshirt is easily the most overused retro item from Fresh Hotel, and so you really have to reinvent it in order to find success. Anything less, and it just looks slapped on. I like the continuity of purple from the chest pack and loose sleeves, but again, this isn't the first time we've seen that combo in a long-term before. You picked items that fit together perfectly like a puzzle, but therein lies the problem with this outfit: you failed to innovate. The influence of Yamamoto is undeniable, but the execution is forgettable, sorry.
The clothing choices you chose this week seem a little too predictable, especially for this task. I think you definitely needed to either work on a more unique, satisfying colour palette, or some cool Avant Garde pattern/texture within your outfit. But nonetheless this is an extremely cutesy design, which we don't tend to see much of so I definitely appreciate that. The asymmetrical sleeve is really dope too. I guess as a whole the outfit is a tad clunky. Something more bold and meaningful would have helped.
kyle (kskins)
Come through genderfluid Guy Fawkes. The idea of going mostly white + black may seem like an unnecessary risk, but it's actually perfectly in the Yamamoto wheelhouse.
I must say, you did it justice! I adore the draped red nightgown which seems so at odds - both tonally and texturally - to everything else above. I've grown to really dislike that feather accessory, but this is possibly the best use for it I've ever seen because you blended it flawlessly into the lower torso. The patchy, almost tattered effect of the black and white fabric is really innovative. The only piece of this presentation I don't love are the head accessories - mainly the hat and scraggily crown item, only because we've seen a similar combo from a contestant on Week 3, whom I scored very low over it. But regardless, this outfit is very unique and successful. Well done.
Sometimes it's really hard to use this much black. But the way you have this super textured red fabric spilling out from under the layers of clothing is wonderful. A perfect mix of the three colours used to show the details and shape within your outfit, it could have easily turned into a black blob! Lovely editing! Your silhouette is very well done and makes for a pleasant piece to look at! Every inch of this feels so meticulously thought-out, very well done, such a marvelous feat.
nicole (nicrobbo95)
​The talk I gave you about abandoning inhibitions and designing with risks and flare seems to not have fallen on deaf ears, because this outfit is spectacular. Its bulky shape and width is so bombastic and hard to ignore, just like a lot of early Yamamoto silhouettes from the mid '70s. Using black, white, and one standout colour was very smart because it lets the viewer truly appreciate the natural lines in the cake suit - something never done before in any Project Runway that I'm aware of. Using the wings on your upper body was such a smart decision and I honestly can't imagine a better choice to convey an upper layer. The head accessories are jazzy, jumbled, and symmetrical, almost to a funny degree. But they don't subtract anything from the outfit's charm or artistry. The only thing I don't love about this presentation is the clipped wing on the right, but that isn't your fault. Truly remarkable effort this week!
This has to be the biggest silhouette of the group, and the boldest design. The sheer effect of the scale works so well. It is edited to perfection, which really helps as this could have became busy very quickly but isn't at all. It feels true Kansai Yamamoto. I really can't say anything bad about this outfit. Maybe if we managed to see a slight bit more skin around the head/face area, but then again there are Yamamoto looks which are covered head to toe, so honestly, 0 negatives whatsoever, I enjoyed this a lot, it is so joyful, fun, eccentric & whimsical. Bravo!
marq (Aivn)
This outfit struck me as gorgeous and innovative at first... but then one of my guest judges showed me this photo. Now, I only feel disappointment. Everything I loved about this outfit, it seems, you had no hand in making! Even the colour palette is pre-selected. Credit to where it's due, your additional accessories definitely enhance everything for the better. But the meat & potatoes of this dish, it seems you had no hand in making. When we use niche items like this with pre-selected colours that take up the entire canvas, you really have to either glitch it out, or pull some one-in-a-long-term type innovation to flip it on its head and make it your creation. Sadly you did not do that. This is so painful, I'm sorry.
The waving pieces of fabric weaving around your outfit outlines your silhouette really nicely, without this it definitely would have fell flat, but you managed to create depth and movement, which really symbolises alot of Kansai's work. Your outfit has a very peaceful vibe to it, maybe a bold colour could have been highlighted in the outfit underneath, but that's the only thing I see here! However... I have been informed that this outfit consists of an item which makes up about 90% of your look, which is slightly disappointing, hopefully it doesn't hinder your score too much! I'd highly recommend not doing that in the future!
Extremely well done on this roung, final ten! My judges & I are very thrilled with these results and I cannot wait to publish this panel so everyone can see. Picking a Top 3 was tough, but I have decided on Sarah (Sparkle), Arber (icearbr) & Nicole (nicrobbo95). As for this week's winner, I am going to give it to Nicole (nicrobbo95). Well done Nicole! These past two weeks, you've really established your presence in this competition.
Week 5
Top 3
The Bottom
This ultra competitive week saw three people slip into the bottom. Those three are. . . . .
Mickey
This outfit is nice and has several positive attributes. Sadly, your competitors simply knocked you down to the bottom by shining a bit brighter this week.
Rae
A shockingly generic layout from arguably the most adventerous and risk-taking designer of the season. Quite the unpleasant surprise if I'm honest.
Marq
A stunning outfit whose good will falls apart the second you learn of its true origin. You didn't really design, you accessorized someone else's design.
The Designer I Am Eliminating Is...
[Highlight the text to reveal]
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Marq (Aivn). You are genuinely the last person I want to eliminate right now. You have been pretty solid up until this point, with some really intricate and creative designs to your name. Sadly, your one flaw this week was a major one that I cannot look past. Maybe if this were Week 1 or 2 and someone did catastrophically worse... but on Week 5, I do not expect such a phone-in from anybody. You are one of my favourite current designers; that is proven in the amount of short-terms and Minis you've won by me. Sadly however, you will not be the winner of Season 10. I love you tonnes, and I hope you can understand where I am coming from, and forgive me for this difficult decision. Take care.
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Well done to the nine of you who survived. I am uploading the sixth task, but we will be taking a Christmas holiday break form now till January 1st. I will not be accepting submissions for Week 6 until the new year. Have a happy holidays!
Your sixth task is available to view.