This week in Paris, IM MEN raised the curtain on a vivacious Autumn Winter 2026/27 collection titled FORMLESS FORM. Conceived from the premise of “a piece of cloth,” the collection extends the label’s ongoing investigation into how form emerges through material behavior rather than predetermined silhouette. In conversation with Whitewall, designers Sen Kawahara, Yuki Itakura, and Nobutaka Kobayashi discuss the thinking behind the IM concept, the role of contemporary technology in expanding textile potential, and how their latest work approaches questions of movement, construction, and longevity through continuity with Japanese textile culture.
Courtesy of IM MEN.
WHITEWALL: The idea of this collection resonates strongly with a Japanese way of thinking about fabric as a starting point rather than a finished form. How did this philosophy guide the development of the IM concept, and how did you reinterpret it through today’s tools, technologies, and modes of production?
SEN KAWAHARA, YUKI ITAKURA, AND NOBUTAKA KOBAYASHI: At IM MEN, the starting point is “a piece of cloth”. Rather than deciding the form in advance, we begin by observing how the fabric behaves—how it moves, and what happens when it comes into contact with the body. By carefully reading its characteristics, the appropriate form of the garment gradually emerges.
With the use of modern technology, the potential of fabric has expanded even further. A symbolic example in this collection is the “CLAY” series. This series combines a flat surface with a rib-knit like structure that contracts with heat—both coexisting within a single piece of cloth. The textured surface produces unexpectedly sculptural silhouettes that cannot be imagined from flat patterns alone.
These expressions are made possible precisely because of modern tools and technologies—representing a new evolution of what a single piece of cloth can be.
Material Intelligence and Innovation
Courtesy of IM MEN.
Courtesy of IM MEN.
WW: Japanese textile culture has long valued efficiency, precision, and an intimate relationship between material and process. IM introduces advanced knitting and construction techniques that allow a single textile to generate an entire garment. How do you approach innovation as a continuation of this material intelligence rather than a break from it?
SK YI NK: We feel that we are carrying forward the sensitivity to materials cultivated within Japan’s textile culture, but at a different resolution. IM MEN’s technology is not about dominating the material. It is more about accurately understanding and drawing out the inherent behaviors and limitations of the materials. In that sense, our innovation lies in the extension of our understanding of the materials.
Movement, Body, and Interaction
Courtesy of IM MEN.
Courtesy of IM MEN.
WW: In IM’s work, the garment often reveals itself through movement unfolding, stretching, or transforming as the body engages with it. How central is the wearer to the design process, and how does this emphasis on interaction shape your understanding of what a “complete” garment is today?
SK YI NK: For IM MEN, movement and the interaction between the body and fabric lie at the very core of what clothing is. Garments are not static objects; they transform with the wearer’s movements and enter into a dialogue with the body. That is why every form and detail is designed with these interactions in mind.
Restraint, Engineering, and Global Sensibility
Courtesy of IM MEN.
Courtesy of IM MEN.
WW: IM pieces appear strikingly simple, yet they are underpinned by complex engineering and research. How do you navigate this balance between visual restraint and technical sophistication, and does this reflect a broader Japanese design sensibility reinterpreted for a global, contemporary context?
SK YI NK: First, how we navigate the balance between visual restraint and technical sophistication. We see visual impact and technical performance as equally valuable. Each can inspire the other, and there is no rule that one must dominate. How the balance plays out ultimately depends on what we create, and also depends on the person who wears the garment.
“Our innovation lies in the extension of our understanding of the materials,”
Sen Kawahara, Yuki Itakura, and Nobutaka Kobayashi
Second, does this reflect a broader Japanese design sensibility reinterpreted for a global, contemporary context? In this day and age, global sensibility comes in through various channels. At the same time, we still carry a sense of Japanese design, and the two naturally merge—not consciously, but instinctively.
Longevity, Sustainability, and the Future of Clothing
Courtesy of IM MEN.
Courtesy of IM MEN.
WW: By creating garments from a single textile element, IM proposes a new relationship to construction, waste, and versatility. Do you see this collection as a conceptual answer to current questions around sustainability and longevity and how does it articulate a future-facing vision of clothing that remains deeply connected to the human body?
SK YI NK: It’s not really about providing an “answer.” We don’t consider sustainability as something exceptional. From our perspective, when designing quality garments, neglecting sustainability would constitute a conceptual gap. Like considerations of comfort, it is an integral factor in the overall design and performance of the clothing.
We believe the fundamental relationship between people and clothing has not undergone significant evolution. While superficial changes occur, the underlying purposes of wearing garments—the functional and experiential motivations—are unlikely to shift substantially in the near future.
Courtesy of IM MEN.
Courtesy of IM MEN.
