Yohji Yamamoto has presented his work in Paris since 1981 as a counterpoint to traditional Western dressmaking, expressing his own view of the world through clothing. A 1969 graduate of Tokyo's Bunka fashion school, he founded his company in 1972 and showed his first collection at home five years later. He brought his first menswear collection to Paris in 1984. His men's line, Yohji Yamamoto POUR HOMME, carries that approach today. A rebellious spirit has driven the designer throughout, and in 1999 he received an award from the Council of Fashion Designers of America.