What Has Always Been
It was not created out of nothing or suddenly.
It has existed since ancient times,
In the act of dressing a body,
In the movement of a piece of cloth.
It is within reach, and it is also very far away,
It is in the past, it is in this moment, and it is in the future.
Freed from time and space, it transcends history and cultures,
There is a sense of beauty and strength [and joy and hope].
There we explore, feel and grasp,
What it has always been, nothing more and nothing less.

Presented in Paris on Friday 1 March inside the Museum of Immigration History of the Palais de la Porte Dorée, the ISSEY MIYAKE Autumn Winter 2024 “What Has Always Been” collection explores the origins of dressing the human body with a piece of cloth, inspired by this intrinsic act.

The act of dressing the body is something that precedes the intentional creation of clothes. Approach this activity leads to the discovery of drapes, stratifications, folds and twists, asymmetrical shapes, but (the space void between dress and body) and playfulness – translating into clothes with organic and little manipulated shapes. A dress – a piece of clothing – created in this way, it transcends the very definition of a garment. The silhouette that the result is fluid and flexible, favoring the wearer. A collection of dresses like this is not defined by era and context, but develops from a primitive and universal act, and evokes a sense of originality.

ENVISION is a series characterized by sculptural forms created from a piece of cloth. The fabric is a development of the washi paper fiber presented in Spring Summer 2024, with a texture light and material to the touch. The silhouettes are the result of an initial study on the shapes obtained wrapping a piece of cloth around a torso. This lightweight material made of washi paper and elastic fibers it gives the clothes a softness in volumes, which seem to wrap naturally around the body.

ENCLOTHE PANTS combines the softness of triacetate and the firmness of linen. The asymmetric silhouette of the trousers is obtained by exploiting the width of a square piece of fabric. Inspired by the primitive act of dress the body with a piece of fabric.

ASAGAO is a seamless knitted series inspired by the shape of a flower. The bust and sleeves are ribbed, the floral shapes on the garter-worked cuffs and hems contrast, adding three-dimensionality to the tubular structure. The colors that change along the ends are obtained by combining three different colored threads. The sleeves can be wrapped around the neck and body, or worn as a hat for a touch of flair playfulness.

ENCLOTHE WASHI AND WOOL is inspired by the idea of wearing a piece of fabric around the body, forming rich drapes. Despite the voluminous silhouette, the fabric has a warm texture, which adds a touch soft on the skin, made possible by the use of a fabric obtained from a mix of natural fibers (washi and wool) and elastic.

BEHIND THE SCENES is a fun series, deliberately showing the process behind the construction of a seamless shirt. The result includes what are called “waste yarns” that would be di normally thrown away during the production phase. This series shows the idea of a design and a manufacturing process that produce less waste.

INTERPLAY is based on the idea of stacked color blocks knitted seamlessly with a double layer construction. When worn, each piece appears to have two levels and can be carried in various ways by manipulating the two-tone section or inserting the body and arms into different openings.

VIGOR is characterized by captivating prints that represent the natural dynamism of wild flowers. The design team collected flowers and leaves and applied color directly to them to create a pattern delicate and at the same time raw/natural. The different shrinkage of cotton and wool during felting process, makes the texture and details of the original images bolder. The palette is inspired to seven autumn herbs * originating from Japan. The shoulders of the long coat and poncho are made folding a single piece of fabric.

*Herbs are: hagi (bush clover), kikyo (bellflower), kuzu (Pueraria lobata), fujibakama (Eupatorium fortunei), ominaeshi (Patrinia scabiosifolia), obana (Japanese Pampas), and nadeshiko (Japanese Carnation).

WANDER is a series of hand-pleated models characterized by an organic silhouette. The folds circular and rectangular are applied on a sheer fabric made by alternating thin and polyester yarns transparent to sturdier yarns, resulting in a delicate texture but stiff enough to hold its shape. There wide and airy silhouette recalls the figure of a wandering nomad.

NUANCE TUBE is inspired by the changing colors of the sky with handmade shades. After being Knitted, each garment is delicately hand-dyed by expert artisans. The tubular shirt without stitching can be worn upside down and inside out. The palette includes a vivid pink reminiscent of sunset, while khaki recalls the cold shade of the sky a moment before night.

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