ISSEY MIYAKE
Like the playground game of fire, paper and scissors, Issey Miyake’s latest collection has a triptych-like name: Paper / Light / Cycling.
Cycling, because it was on a bicycle that the first row of models arrived, all sporting very urban looks that sometimes even flirted with sportswear. At Issey Miyake, we chose to go all the way and take the cycling theme so seriously that we saw vests inspired by the safety vests worn by cyclists in the city (fluorescent stripes de rigueur…).
Light because yes, it seems that white, the color most likely to attract light, was very well represented in this collection and can be found just about everywhere, whether on shirts, shorts, shoes, as a touch or as a total look, white is clearly the collection’s flagship color. Flagship color, light, it’s all relative.
Paper, and this is where the technical prowess of the Japanese company comes into its own. Indeed, in addition to the classic cuts of some of the garments and the different folding techniques of others, we also saw the inclusion of Shiroishi Washi, a specially treated paper renowned for its use by many Japanese dignitaries (including the Emperor) and monks, in the creation of shirts and jackets. An original material, to say the least, the crumpled, folded side shows its fragility and therefore its nobility. Its use here is logical, since paper can’t get wet, so it can only be worn on sunny days.
Japanese culture was clearly in the spotlight in this show, which drew its inspiration from several themes. The result of this mix is, to say the least, explosive, and the only thing one could criticize about this collection is its slight lack of visual coherence. However, the use of exotic materials makes up for this, bringing a real poetic touch to a context that didn’t lend itself to it at first glance.
Mary Yasmine Arrouche
Cette publication est également disponible en : Français (French)
