Technological Ingenuity Takes Center Stage
The Spring/Summer 2024 collection by Homme Plissé Issey Miyake, “Everyday, One of a Kind, Now and Hereafter,” debuted today in Paris at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs with an installation of frozen garments suspended overhead. In a prelude to the introduction of the season’s latest garments, the maison’s design team took to the runway, unrolling a large bolt of pleated paper right on the tiled floors and, in a performative display, dressed a cast of shirtless models in pieces that appeared to be cut straight from the paper. Between the demonstration and the looks that unfolded, it became clear that the brand’s technological ingenuity was the star of the season.
As the runway show began, the looks that were revealed were clean and uncomplicated silhouettes in upbeat hues, with their most noteworthy details requiring an up-close look, and maybe even an interaction of touch. The pristine pleats and inventive materializations that the house is known for, so carefully developed and crafted over the years, saw to a series of several design suites, brought to life through natural material dyes. Offering wearable but original wardrobe solutions for everyday life, the pieces included comfortably-fitted shorts, shirts, knits, trousers, jackets, and accessories, bearing the recognizable Issey Miyake signature.
Courtesy of Issey Miyake.
New Forms and Textures
Pieces from the Rectangle series were representative of their name when laid flat, like long tunics worn with straight-legged pants. The Wing coat took on a lightweight sporty appeal with a back vent and arms not unlike the stretch of an aircraft’s wings when spread wide, seen in several ensembles, including an army green iteration worn over white textured shorts and a knit top, paired with a beanie. The Horizon pleated pieces saw newly-imagined horizontal pleats bouncing gently with the movement of the wearer, like in a tank-and-shorts ensemble in a sunshiny hue.
Courtesy of Issey Miyake.
Other favorites included the accordion pleats of the Edge Ensemble—tactile suiting for more formal occasions—made from recycled polyester, and the Picturesque prints, which employed geometric shapes and strong colors to represent nature-centric imagery of mountains, wind, and earth. Looks were styled with lace-up canvas sneakers and one of three colorways of the new Like loafer, which were inspired by formal styles but conceived for casual wear.
Courtesy of Issey Miyake.
