Rare Michiko Koshino YEN JEANS long-sleeve top in off-white, with an unusually intricate asymmetric construction.
The body is cut with a dramatic diagonal seam running from the upper chest down across the torso, with the seam deliberately exposed through distinctive looped overlock stitching. This continues into curved panel construction around the lower body, giving the otherwise minimal top an almost sculptural, wrapped appearance.
The sleeves are particularly good: layered construction creates a doubled sleeve effect, with the outer layer extending and twisting around the inner sleeve. The fabric is left slightly raw at the edges, with visible overlocking and irregular finishing throughout.
The back features a repeated tonal YEN / ¥ symbol print across the upper yoke, while the lower rear is finished with the original red-and-gold YEN JEANS “Every Garment Guaranteed” patch. The asymmetry, exposed construction and unusual seam placement are very characteristic of Koshino’s experimental YEN JEANS pieces.
YEN JEANS was established in Tokyo in 1996, with surviving examples strongly associated with the late 1990s / early 2000s; this piece fits that early-2000s YEN JEANS period particularly well.
