March 18, 2000 Yohji Yamamoto showcased his Fall 2004 ready-to-wear collection featuring folkloric multicoloured printed tailcoats reminiscent, as the press assumed, perhaps of his journeys to Tibet or Uzbekistan? "No,"Yamamoto said. "I just wanted to prove I can do color."

Having made the color statement, Yamamoto returned to his usual favorite - the all-black avant-garde cutting, this season taylored into his, as Style.Com calls it, Edwardiana-meets-rocker kind of elegance.

The sequence of sweeping greatcoats and capes with layers of collars and oversize brass and chrome buttons came last – and best, proving Yamamoto leading fashion forward once again.