Stones that emerge from a gurgling stream, as if taking a break from the long journey that took them from the mountains to the sea, from the rocks to the sand. Some round and smooth, or long and tapered. Each with a unique shape.

The ISSEY MIYAKE AUTUMN WINTER 2021/22 As the Way It Comes to Be collection explores the various expressions – colors, silhouettes and shapes – found in nature and develops them in the form of a dress (a piece
of cloth).

The exhibition features suminagashi (ink marbling), one of the dyeing techniques used in the collection. The craftsmen overturn and stain the surface of a large tray of water with dye, where the solution begins to spread freely forming an organic pattern, which will be transferred directly onto the clean fabric that absorbs it. Each pattern is one of a kind, expertly and delicately handcrafted in a Kyoto studio.

Inside the exhibition location, a piece of suminagashi fabric is spread out to represent a flowing stream. Thanks to special lighting and a video installation, the sparkle of the water and the bubbles between the stones seem to come to life. The exhibition presents the power of nature and the beauty of this technique with a simple combination of fabric, light and images.

Designed by Naoto Fukasawa, the store is a space that integrates the concept of design and creation of ISSEY MIYAKE with a traditional Japanese “machiya” (town house). Visually united by the classic “sumi” (ink) color, the store environment combines tradition and innovation. The “KURA” (warehouse), gallery in the courtyard, hosts various exhibitions on design and making throughout the year.