YOHJI RESCUED

Having recently filed for bankruptcy Mr. Yamamoto held a press conference Friday evening at their flag ship store. He goes to say “I’ve had my company for over 30 years, and I consider myself to be a designer first. I left many of the everyday business activities to others, but I think one reason that the company has come to this is that I left too much to others,” Yamamoto, dressed in a long black coat and sneakers, said. “I was told about the positive things, but many of the bad things didn’t reach my ears.”

I have to say that this is a common attitude when your dealing with someone creative that chooses to put all their time and efforts into making something brilliant rather than being bothered with numbers, figures and strategy. Every great creative mind has an equally as brilliant counter part that usually deals with the business aspect of making the brand as successful as it should be. Valentino and Giammetti, Saint Laurent and Pierre Berge, Jacobs and Robert Duffy, Calvin Klein and Barry Schwartz. However it is true that regardless of how brilliant you may be at steering your business in the right direction even the best of them have faced growing pains and struggled with finance.

To Yohji Yamamoto's rescue is Integral who will form a special purpose company to acquire Yamamoto’s businesses, assets and subsidiaries. Once it has approval from the Tokyo District Court, the special purpose vehicle will become the new Yohji Yamamoto Inc. and the designer is expected to retain a minority stake in that firm. Established in 2007, Integral is a private equity fund targeting “long-term” investments in the Japanese market. Its current portfolio includes an investment in machinery company Business Process Solution. Integral is backed by GCV Savvian Group Corp., which has offices in Tokyo, several U.S. cities and London.