Which Japanese designer created David Bowie’s costumes for the Ziggy Stardust era?

Kansai Yamamoto created David Bowie’s costumes for the Ziggy Stardust era.

Yamamoto designed several of Bowie’s most recognizable stage outfits in the early 1970s, including dramatic garments influenced by Japanese theatre and traditional dress. Their bold shapes, bright colors, and theatrical construction suited Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust persona.

The collaboration helped bring Japanese fashion and performance aesthetics to a large Western pop audience. Bowie wore Yamamoto’s designs during performances and promotional appearances connected with his Ziggy Stardust period.

Kansai Yamamoto is sometimes confused with Yohji Yamamoto because both were influential Japanese designers. They were different designers and were not the same person; Kansai Yamamoto was born in 1944, while Yohji Yamamoto was born in 1943.