ISSEY MIYAKE – Spring/Summer 2016 | FASHION INSIDER MAGAZINE

October 19, 2015

By Lynne Quanjel

Photos by Frédérique Dumoulin

Paris, France – The Issey Miyake show starts with a live music introduction that sets the tone for the new Spring/Summer 2016 collection. Meanwhile, the models hit the runway smiling as they are adorned in exciting, modern and unique pieces.

There is a sense of fun embedded within the house’s work. The collection itself is a mix of patterns and structures in an array of vibrant colours and textures. Of the collection’s “Botanical Delights” theme shows a variation of comfy yet edgy designs, that are inspired by nature. Of it artistic director Yoshiyuki Miyamae says,

“By experimenting with ingredients, we seek to create clothing with new tastes and forms. A piece of cloth can be steamed or baked and emerge in a newly fresh and delicious texture. Seasoned with spices, colors and shapes appear, inspired by the lush vitality of the tropical jungle – transforming our daily act of dressing into a sensuous and surprising experience.”

Later on, we see a new material that allows for a new type of pleating. It is created from a new process called ‘baked stretch’. This results in a pattern of wavy pleats, created by adding glue onto the fabric and baking at a high temperature. Once incorporated into the silhouettes, it creates an interesting visual effect similar to the waves of the ocean.

It is very obvious that this season summer and nature are the driving factors in Miyamae’s work for Issey Miyake. The shaping and structuring of the designs are kept very neutral in order to attract attention to the material. Texture plays an important role within the collection, which in turn lends itself to the simple shaping of the pieces, giving the garments another dimension.

Famous for their pleats, the brand creates natural materials using technology to produce a new fabric called the ‘3D Steam Stretch’. This technique makes it possible to create a ultra-thin paper thread, made from plant fibres that create materials similar to jute or straw. This is combined with a clever use of steam to create intricate pleating, which results in comfortable, lightweight and easy to wear clothing, that suits the lifestyle of any modern woman.