The usage of poems being printed on garments may seem as lacking tact or unrefined, coming off as obnoxious pretentiousness. However, it is interesting to inspect in what manner have they been incorporated onto the runway, whether as the defining theme, or as a complimentary addition to the cohesiveness of the overarching collection.

Junya Watanabe

Notorious amongst archival enthusiasts and achieving a legendary status, Junya Watanabe's debut menswear collection for spring summer 2002 introduced to the world some interesting pieces that stand the test of time, many of them including short poems. Shirts and jeans were adorned with what could be classified as poems about morality and love. These poems were sparse, and resembled a collection of observations and statements moreso than they were bona fide poems, in Helvetica all caps nonetheless.

Watanabe stated that this collection was spearheaded by the desire to be genuine, for the thoughts behind the design to come “from the heart.” And so, we were graced with quirky, yet sensible poems in the collection, contrasting with one-liners that seemed almost ironic such as “curry rice.” However, since then, although none have reached the notoriety of this collection, there have been occasional appearances of poems appearing on clothing, which gives some ideas into the theme of the collection as well as undoubtedly turning heads on the runway, and the streets.

Raf Simons

A notable example worth talking about is from Raf Simons' Spring/Summer 2002 collection titled “Woe Onto Those Who Spit Onto The Fear Generation. The Wind Will Blow It Back.” The sweater is white with black stripes adorning it, along with a poem attached to the front in which Simons' points directly at the “sombre state of world affairs.” This falls in line with Simons' design ethos, one that is deeply rooted in rebellion and the vitality of youth.

Not all examples of poetic clothing, in the literal sense, is solely authored by the label themselves, borrowing from famous poets of an era long past works as well, so long as it is relevant in the context of the collection. In his Autumn/Winter 2004 Collection titled “Waves,” Simons uses Spanish philosopher Jose Ortega y Gasset's "Shipwrecked on Strange Shores" poem on a washed-black crewneck, displayed in a sketch-like manner, accompanied by a drawing. In this instance, the poem acts as a medium to express self-fulfilment, a central theme to this collection, which was mainly inspired by Mod culture and once again, youthful rebellion. The poem represents an eternal struggle to find meaning in one's life, connecting to the underlying motive behind the collection.

Yohji Yamamoto

Poetry is quite short in fashion, as the amount of real estate is strictly limited by the garment itself, and it makes sense from a practical perspective. One would only look at a passerby for a few seconds on the streets, making it quite impossible to read a full length poem, similar to the aforementioned. So, sometimes, less is more.

From the Spring/Summer 2019 collection titled “It's Only Yesterday” for his menswear mainline, Yohji Yammamoto used music that could either be interpreted as being made for the show itself, or vice versa. The song consisted of lyrics that echoed on the garments with the signature phrase "It's only yesterday" adorned on several pieces, with the repetition occurring in different manners, suggesting a changing enunciation with each line. In tandem, with the silhouette and drapes presented at this collection, the sporadic and seemingly one-dimensional phrase presents itself as a cog in a machine that is the collection.