Orange County Register

Japanese fashion design firm Yohji Yamamoto Inc. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Friday, according to at least three media outlets.

The designer has a Y-3 store (pictured right) that opened earlier this year at Fashion Island in Newport Beach. Y-3 is a collaboration between Adidas and Yamamoto.

Below are Friday excerpts from media outlets about the Japanese fashion design firm’s bankruptcy protection filing:

• Bloomberg: Yohji Yamamoto, the Japanese fashion designer whose company filed for bankruptcy today, will continue to design the Y-3 sportswear line for Adidas AG.
• Associated Press: Yohji Yamamoto Inc., a fashion house famous for its austere black designer clothes, filed for bankruptcy protection Friday, a victim of slumping sales as Japanese women turn to cheaper casual outfits during a prolonged economic downturn.
• Wall Street Journal: The firm, which cited the soft global economy for the move, said it will continue to operate while under bankruptcy protection.

The Yamamoto company could not be immediately reached Friday morning for comment.

When the O.C. Y-3 store opened, it was the first West Coast store. The “Y” stands for Yamamoto and the “3″ represents the three signature Adidas stripes.

The two companies launched the men’s and women’s sportswear line in the spring/summer of 2003. Since September 2004, Y-3 has opened stores across Asia, Europe and the U.S., including locations in New York and Miami.

The 2,220-square-foot Fashion Island store offers Y-3 women’s and men’s collection along with footwear and accessories. Shoes, including those made of leather and suede, range from $240 to $400. Women’s dresses range from $250 to $600. And men’s pants, including denim, range from $240 to $350, Grace Olivo, supervisor for Y-3 at Fashion Island, said previously.

(Photo of Y-3 provided by Fashion Island.)

More from OC Retail:

• O.C. shopping center finds replacement for Circuit City
• Irvine Spectrum announces 6 store openings
• Mall near O.C. expands by 37,000 sq. ft., names 3 new stores
• O.C. exclusive furniture store opens at Fashion Island
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• What shoppers may expect this Christmas season
• Sears closes O.C. store
• South Coast Plaza, Shops at Mission Viejo stores to close
• Apple to close another O.C. store temporarily
• Forever 21 to open 86,000 sq. ft. store at Mervyn’s near O.C.
• Pottery Barn closes O.C. store
• $35 movie ticket may be coming to O.C.
• Makeup brand sold at Nordstrom, Macy’s to shut down
• Family may reopen Mervyn’s stores
• Movie-rental chain to close up to 960 stores

For more from OC Retail, see list of links on the right-hand side of this blog.

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