As a loyal champion of Zhao Bandi (he’s a personal hero of mine), I came across some sombre news this evening. One of Bandi’s greatest inspirations for his seminal panda fashion range has filed for bankruptcy. Japanese designer Yohji Yamamoto, famed for his black minimalist outfits and an inspiration we can see in the panda line, has seen his company hit by the global recession leaving him with debts to the tune of 6bn Yen.
His petition will be filed as bankruptcy abroad and so will not really affect the Chinese fashion sphere as much as the Japanese industry. But the mood in the Joon Gang office today is definitely a sad one. Here’s hoping Yamamoto can pick himself up, run a lint roller over his (invariably black) jacket and get creating some more inspiration for our favourite innovative fashion designers soon.