The Alchemy of Couture: The Creative Process of Yuima Nakazato

The intensity and lyricism of Yuima Nakazato's Utakata haute couture show in Paris. Cover picture and photograph (above) by Elli Ioannou for DAM

From a standout show at Paris Haute Couture Week to designing evocative costumes for Mozart's Idomeneo at the Geneva Opera,Yuima Nakazato has had an exhilarating start to the year. Now with an upcoming summer exhibition of his work in France, the Japanese couturier shares insights into his creative process while reflecting on the highlights of his resonant Spring/Summer 2024 collection. Story by Jeanne-Marie Cilento. Reporting by Antonio Visconti. Photography by Elli Ioannou and Andrea Heinsohn

Sculptural designs mix the diaphanous with
the dramatic. evoking a new urban armour.
Photograph: Elli Ioannou

Like an alchemist of fashion, Yuima Nakazato is able to infuse his creations with a spirit that resonates beyond the confines of the runway. He has an ability to transform mere textiles into a form of three-dimensional lyrical poetry, creating designs that elicit potent emotion. 

Set against the backdrop of Mozart's Idomeneo and the haunting landscapes of Crete, Nakazato's latest collection, Utakata, merges the realms of fashion, art, and performance to explore history, and the development of couture. 

“In the process of creating this collection, I came across the Japanese word utakata, which means ephemeral," he explains. “This word seemed to express the exact opposite of the trend seen in the evolution of men's clothing, where functionality and durability are increasingly valued and prioritized. 

"What I wanted to convey was a sort of ephemeral armour, much like a delicate bubble formed on the surface of the water, capable of vanishing in the blink of an eye. This approach also represents a release from or renunciation of battle.”

Nakazato merges the realms of fashion, art, and performance to explore history, and the development of couture

Voluminous fabrics and striking abstract patterns 

heightened the potent impact of the collection.

Photograph: Elli Ioannou

At the heart of Nakazato's collection lies a reverence for the past, entwined with an exploration of the future. 

Inspired by the ancient allure of Crete and the enduring legacy of Mozart's 1781 opera, the designer embarked on a quest to reinterpret history through the prism of contemporary consciousness and explore the composer's tale of human suffering from the disasters of the ancient Greek wars. 

For the Idomeneo opera and ballet at Switzerland’s Grand Théâtre de Genève, he designed scintillating costumes, working with the Belgian choreographer and director Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui. "This show was created together as a sort of a non-verbal communication with modern society," the designer says. 

The odyssey of his creative trajectory took Nakazato from the shores of the Mediterranean to the hallowed halls of the Musée de l'Armée in Paris, where he unearthed the relics of antiquity with a discerning eye. What emerges from this journey is a tapestry of contradictions, where strength and vulnerability converge in a delicate dance of contrasts.

The odyssey of his creative trajectory took the designer from the shores of the Mediterranean to the halls of the Musée de l'Armée in Paris

Long, origami-like tunics adorned with 

silvery, sculpted details elucidated the idea

of Nakazato's 'ephemeral armour.'

Photograph: Andrea Heinsohn

“While designing the costumes for this opera, I visited Crete, the Greek island in the Mediterranean where the story of Idomeneo takes place,” remarks Nakazato. 

“With a vista of transparent, turquoise blue seas and groves of olive trees spread before me, I imagined the Trojan War as it took place in this beautiful scenery during the Minoan civilization. 

"These reflections led me to reconsider the state of our modern society thousands of years later, which then became the starting point for this collection."

The 'ephemeral armour' speaks to a new paradigm of masculinity, one that embraces sensitivity and grace amid the chaos of modernity. Each garment, painstakingly crafted from reclaimed textiles and adorned with dramatic ceramics, is a testament to the enduring power of real artistry in an age of transience.

“During my research, I was struck by the appearance of armour from this period excavated from ancient ruins," Nakazato says. "It was so beautiful that I could scarcely believe it had been designed for combat. I found myself wondering why beauty was necessary for a garment intended for use in war.

The collection's 'ephemeral armour' speaks to a new paradigm of masculinity that embraces sensitivity and grace amid the chaos of modernity

Pau Aran Gimeno on the runway with his 

'blood-soaked' feet leaving a poignant trail. 

Photograph: Andrea Heinsohn

“Seeking answers, I visited the Musée de l'Armée in Paris to investigate the evolution of men's clothing over the past 5,000 years. I noticed that the decorative elements of battle wear are gradually eliminated as societies grow more civilized and technology continues to develop. 

"As a result, repeated advances in functionality and rationality have culminated in the current style of military wear. Interestingly, these garments have served as prototypes for much of the clothing we wear today.”

As the models traversed the runway at Paris' Palais de Tokyo, accompanied by the haunting strains of Tsubasa Hori's piano and the writhing movements of dancer Pau Aran Gimeno, the audience was enthralled. 

Nakazato's designs with their sculptural silhouettes and intricate detailing, which invite contemplation and introspection, evoke a visceral response in the viewer. Gimeno, dressed all in diaphanous white, stepped into the red pool, and as he moved along the catwalk, he created seemingly bloodied footsteps, signifying perhaps our effect on the planet. 

Like all of his collections since he launched in 2016 on the official Paris haute couture schedule,  Nakazato has made Utakata a manifesto for change, a call to arms for a new era of sartorial expression. His commitment to sustainability and innovation shines through all of his work, as he challenges the industry to embrace a more conscious approach to producing and creating fashion. From his pioneering use of fermented bacteria as compostable textiles to his revolutionary Type-1 system that does away with the needle and thread, Nakazato proves that fashion can be both visionary and virtuous.

Utakata is a manifesto for change, a call to arms for a new era of sartorial expression that shows how fashion can be both visionary and virtuous

Designer Yuima Nakazato dips his brush into the 

red pool at the finale of his show in Paris.

Photograph: Andrea Heinsohn

In Paris, during the finale of the haute couture show at the Palais de Tokyo, the designer ran out and dipped a brush into the blood-red pool at the heart of the catwalk. 

The audience erupted into applause, as he signed his name with a flourish on the white runway, amid an electric atmosphere created by the evocative collection, music and dance.

In our transient world, Yuima Nakazato's creations show how art in fashion can not only inspire, provoke and elevate the human spirit but also be a practical inspiration for real change at the level of fashion production and recycling.

“Through the contradictory existence of delicate, fragile armour created by textiles shredded and reclaimed from worn-out uniforms and workwear and decorated with ceramics, glass, and platinum, this collection shows the evolution of clothing, " explains the couturier. "It is also an attempt to fuse the delicate and fragile handwork elements of couture with the evolutionary path followed by men's clothing that has continued since ancient times."

In the months to come, as Nakazato prepares for the premiere of his exhibition Yuima Nakazato, Beyond Couture, at the Cité de la Dentelle et de la Mode in Calais in June, and pushes the boundaries of couture, his work continues to be a beacon of innovation, creativity, and above all, beauty. For in the fleeting moments of Ukataka and in the enduring collection of his designs, we glimpse the essence of fashion at its artistic best.

See more highlights from Yuima Nakazato's Utakata SS24 Collection in Paris below.

Utataka, Yuima Nakazato, Paris Haute Couture Spring/Summer 2024. Photograph: Andrea Heinsohn

Utakata, Yuima Nakazato, Paris Haute Couture, Spring/Summer 2024. Photograph: Elli Ioannou 

Utakata, Yuima Nakazato, Paris Haute Couture, Spring/Summer 2024. Photograph: Andrea Heinsohn

Utakata, Yuima Nakazato, Paris Haute Couture, Spring/Summer 2024. Photograph: Andrea Heinsohn

Utakata, Yuima Nakazato, Paris Haute Couture, Spring/Summer 2024. Photograph: Andrea Heinsohn

Utakata, Yuima Nakazato, Paris Haute Couture, Spring/Summer 2024. Photograph: Andrea Heinsohn

Utakata, Yuima Nakazato, Paris Haute Couture, Spring/Summer 2024. Photograph: Andrea Heinsohn

Utakata, Yuima Nakazato, Paris Haute Couture, Spring/Summer 2024. Photograph: Andrea Heinsohn

Utakata,Yuima Nakazato, Paris Haute Couture, Spring/Summer 2024. Photograph: Elli Ioannou

Utakata, Yuima Nakazato, Paris Haute Couture, Spring/Summer 2024. Photograph: Elli Ioannou

Utakata, Yuima Nakazato, Paris Haute Couture, Spring/Summer 2024. Photograph; Ell Ioannou

Utakata, Yuima Nakazato, Paris Haute Couture, Spring/Summer 2024. Photograph: Elli Ioannou

Utakata, Yuima Nakazato, Paris Haute Couture, Spring/Summer 2024. Photograph: Elli Ioannou

Utakata, Yuima Nakazato, Paris Haute Couture, Spring/Summer 2024. Photograph: Andrea Heinsohn

Utakata, Yuima Nakazato, Paris Haute Couture, Spring/Summer 2024. Photograph; Andrea Heinsohn

Utakata, Yuima Nakazato, Paris Haute Couture, Spring/Summer 2024. Photograph: Andrea Heinsohn