The ISSEY MIYAKE AUTUMN/WINTER 2023/24 collection “The Square and Beyond” revisits the conventional square shape with which many creative objects are represented: a canvas, a score, a piece of fabric… The collection confronts this rational form and explores it further – with innovative ideas and technologies – to develop garments with surprising shapes, thus introducing an unconventional aesthetic based on a new iteration of the ma (the empty space) between the dress and the chi he wears it.
The show takes place on the stage of the theater and opens with a live marimba performance by the Trio SR9 ensemble. The tension on stage builds as the instruments continue to play. Models wearing looks inspired by squares walk along a path drawn by light, towards a finale against the background of the empty opera house.
This series, CANOPY, is characterized by a geometric shape that covers the body. The three-dimensional structure, with corners on both sides, is made of a soft and elastic material with very few seams, which enhance its unusual silhouette.
Inspired by the idea of squares that move and transform, SQUARE SCHEME is characterized by shapes obtained with knitting techniques. Squares are organically obtained by combining vertical and horizontal mesh structures. When this is combined with woven squares of fabric, irregular silhouettes take shape naturally. The geometric pattern is then printed on the fabric, emphasizing its shape.
The RYTHM CHECK series is inspired by the alternating rhythm of the check print. The soft and three-dimensional effect of the fabric is the result of the applied shrinkage process. The shrinkage thread is woven into the fabric in a grid pattern before being dipped in high-temperature water, then shrinking it to half its original size. The result is a garment with a creased effect texture.
This grouping of a jacket and coat – COUNTERPOINT: CHECK – can also be worn inside out and is designed to contrast with the opposite side, creating a different look. The bodice of the coat is made from a single piece of printed fabric and has different lengths between the back and front, lending itself to being worn in a variety of ways.
COUNTERPOINT is a seamless knit series characterized by irregular shapes created by the mix of different structures. By working the knits in opposite directions for the front and back, they end up creating a tension that creates a twisted silhouette. The striped pattern enhances the direction of the knit and accentuates the shape of the body-hugging dresses.
SHAPED CANVAS is inspired by the unconventional shape of a painter’s canvas. This seamless knit group uses a double knitting technique that joins two pieces of fabric, where the neck and body parts are woven separately. The angular shape of the sweater gives a unique silhouette with contrasting colors, allowing the garment to be worn both from the front and from the back.
RECTILINEAR is a series that uses two rectangles of different colors, knitted horizontally to create a linear pattern. The angular silhouette of the striped pattern bounces up and down with the movements of the body, adding a touch of lightness to the sweater. RECTILINEAR: MILLED is a coat with the same pattern but woven with the Jacquard machine. The design of this garment enhances the quality of the print and is surprisingly soft and comfortable despite the generous volume.
The SQUARE ONE series was the starting point for the creation of the collection. Printing clear squares on the fabric symbolizes the source of inspiration in the early stages of creation. The series is characterized by linear shapes with a touch of rigidity, obtained from the partial use of Japanese paper. The garments have been designed and manufactured using methods that avoid the production of production waste during the manufacturing process.
SQUARE is a series of bags whose design gives the impression that they are delicately covered by a piece of fabric that softly shapes following the movements of the wearer.
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