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I was desperately looking forward to the Yohji Yamamoto exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A), to be followed by a meal at Zuma, in Knightsbridge.
Sadly, it was a poorly curated exhibition – most unlike the V&A. It looks great as you go in – very open, light and kind of industrial - with the clothes on mannequins or hanging, not behind glass cases, so you can get real close which is a treat but… the only real narrative was via about twenty TV screens, most with differing programmes on, each equipped with just one set of headphones. With, say, 100 people in the room when I was there … and 20 headsets – not hard to do the math is it? As well as being difficult to access headphones, the reflected light from overhead meant that, seated in my wheelchair, glare obscured pretty much anything on those 20 screens. Very disappointing.
Despite the exhibition shortcomings, nothing can really detract from the uniqueness of Yamamoto's designs. EaZyD and me have long been well into the Japanese designer aesthetic (even in hospital, we managed A very Merry Yohji Xmas in 1999). I have kept all my Miyake’s and EaZyD was wearing a coat from one of the books in the gift shop – eek, we’re vintage, dahlings!
I picked up a Wim Wenders DVD on Yamamoto on the way out - which will be compulsory viewing at the next Arts Club meeting at my house.- before we stopped off at the cafe, admiring the fabulous big ball lights dangling from the ceiling – like (click) these but hanging - then on to Zuma which was great – big, bustling, lots of staff and yummy food.
I was pleasantly surprised as I’d expected an Umu – which I loved but was very expensive, quiet and refined – but this was more like a Café Boulud, Japanese style. My favourite dishes were soft-shell crab, chilli beef and a sublime black cod. Great for a group, we were just four but shared it all; level access, even a disabled parking space outside plus valet parking if you want it. It’s SW7 so not cheap but not exorbitant either (about £60 per head). Thoroughly recommended.
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