"In the 1970s, at a time when light skinned occidentals ruled the runway, Yamaguchi used her very Asian looks to conquer the fashion world’s top catwalks.
Yokohama born Sayoko Yamaguchi graduated from Sugino Gakuen, a fashion design school in Tokyo, and originally had no intention of becoming a fashion model. When she did become a model, she often thought of quitting because she didn’t have a Western look.
One day, her mother cut her hair in the old style for young Japanese girls, a straight short bob with long straight bangs reaching close to the eyes. With her beautiful almond-shaped eyes, it made her look like a traditional Japanese doll. Armed with this new look she auditioned for Japanese fashion designer Kansai Yamamoto, and the rest, as they say, is history.Ironically, she had made up her mind that this would be her last audition. If she couldn’t get the job, she would quit modeling.
Yokohama born Sayoko Yamaguchi graduated from Sugino Gakuen, a fashion design school in Tokyo, and originally had no intention of becoming a fashion model. When she did become a model, she often thought of quitting because she didn’t have a Western look.
One day, her mother cut her hair in the old style for young Japanese girls, a straight short bob with long straight bangs reaching close to the eyes. With her beautiful almond-shaped eyes, it made her look like a traditional Japanese doll. Armed with this new look she auditioned for Japanese fashion designer Kansai Yamamoto, and the rest, as they say, is history.Ironically, she had made up her mind that this would be her last audition. If she couldn’t get the job, she would quit modeling.
Yamaguchi cherished her bob and made it her trademark. Consequently, Westerners saw Yamaguchi as the dictionary definition of Oriental beauty.
Yamaguchi made her Paris debut in 1972 and regularly modeled for Japan’s top designers like Kenzo Takada, Issei Miyake and Kansai Yamamoto. Japanese cosmetics maker Shiseido used her in an ad campaign to promote make-up for Asian faces and to make Japanese women more comfortable with their own beauty.
Newsweek magazine named Yamaguchi as one of the top six models in the world in 1977. In 1984, she received a special prize at the Mainichi Fashion Awards.
In her later years, Yamaguchi performed on stage and in movies, and also designed stage costumes.
Yamaguchi said that the three most important elements of modeling were kimochi (feeling), katachi (style) and ugoki (movement). Unfortunately, her movement has now ceased, but her feeling and style will last forever."(japanesestreets.com)
Yamaguchi made her Paris debut in 1972 and regularly modeled for Japan’s top designers like Kenzo Takada, Issei Miyake and Kansai Yamamoto. Japanese cosmetics maker Shiseido used her in an ad campaign to promote make-up for Asian faces and to make Japanese women more comfortable with their own beauty.
Newsweek magazine named Yamaguchi as one of the top six models in the world in 1977. In 1984, she received a special prize at the Mainichi Fashion Awards.
In her later years, Yamaguchi performed on stage and in movies, and also designed stage costumes.
Yamaguchi said that the three most important elements of modeling were kimochi (feeling), katachi (style) and ugoki (movement). Unfortunately, her movement has now ceased, but her feeling and style will last forever."(japanesestreets.com)
Art & Fashion
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