Despite Issey Miyake’s new menswear designer not being revealed to the press yet, the mystery (wo)man presented a coherent and precise collection, that rung true with Issey’s history, Japanese fashion, and contemporary silhouettes. Nudges at ‘Pleats Please’s early days, classical Japanese menswear and the current retro yacht look, all rubbed shoulders on the catwalk – leading to a game of pleatedbagginess and subtle colour and textile contrasts.
The Fellini-esque summer feel was pushed further with straw panama hats and ankles on show (nicknamed ‘mankles’ by the fashion press), and the mix of blues, such as turquoise with navy. There was an element of comedy too, through plastic flowers and bow ties, adding a touch of playfulness to an otherwise grown up line.
The strength both in Issey Miyake and in this collection isits ability to use a multitude of references without ever caricaturing them – and once again, this proved to be a discreetly eclectic look.
Photography by Frédérique Dumoulin
