Yohji Yamamoto

Yohji Yamamoto is a Japanese fashion brand founded by designer Yohji Yamamoto, who established his eponymous label in 1981 after launching his first brand, Y's, in the 1970s. Based in Tokyo and Paris, he became known for avant-garde tailoring, often working with black fabrics, deconstructed silhouettes, and a strong Japanese design sensibility.

The perfume line, usually referred to as Yohji Yamamoto Parfums, began in 1996 with the launch of the first fragrance, Yohji, created in collaboration with Jean Patou and composed by perfumer Jean Kerléo. This debut scent is frequently described as a complex chypre-fruity gourmand with green and praline facets, and it quickly gained a cult following despite limited mainstream exposure. It was followed by Yohji Essential in 1998 and Yohji Homme in 1999, and later by Yohji Yamamoto Femme (2004) and Yohji Yamamoto Homme (2004) under a new license after Jean Patou was acquired by Procter & Gamble in 2001.

The early fragrances were discontinued around 2005, but the brand returned to perfumery in 2013 with six releases, including reworked versions of the 1990s scents in partnership with perfumer Olivier Pescheux. More recently the house has introduced collections such as "I am not going to disturb you" and L'odeur Yohji Yamamoto, the latter described by the brand as a set of light, transparent scents offered as eau de cologne, linen spray, shampoo, diffuser, and soap across five numbered compositions.

Across these phases, Yohji Yamamoto fragrances often experiment with contrasts such as airy green or transparent accords over gourmand or tobacco bases. Tobacco appears repeatedly as a thematic note in the "I am not going to disturb you" line, and the house is known among enthusiasts for offbeat structures that feel intentionally a bit outside conventional designer trends.