The ISSEY MIYAKE SPRING SUMMER 2023 collection, A Form That Breathes, is built upon an exploration of making sculptures. By experiencing the creative process—the freedom of shaping and forming with one’s own hands—the collection incorporates ideas, elements, and textures inspired by the sculpting process to develop original garment forms. Each piece of clothing created this way is a sculpture made of fabric that seems rigid at first, but turns into a soft, fluid form as soon as it moves, so lively as if it is about to breathe. Characterized by its sculptural form, the TORSO series exemplifies this Spring Summer 2023 season. The design team hand-created the sculptural torso shape, expressing it through a single piece of fabric. The material is firm yet flexible, and the three-dimensional silhouette and draping is created by wearing the garments, like a sculpture on the body.
TORSO JUXTAPOSE features bold prints on the same fabric as the TORSO series, created from clay forms made by the design team. Using vivid pigments, the print is thickly and firmly applied by hand to the base fabric, giving it a texture reminiscent of the stately look of a sculpture.
R COAT and R SHIRT are characterized by their silhouettes created by the smooth curves from the shoulders to the cuffs. R COAT is made of a lightweight, stretchy fabric treated with a water-repellent finish for outstanding functionality. R SHIRT uses cotton for the warp, while the weft is made from special nylon stretch yarn that is fine and soft. To create volume at the shoulders, piping tape made from repurposed excess fabric, is sewn on to produce a curved silhouette that extends down to the cuffs.
RESONANT SUIT is made from fabric that is folded and then partially hand-pleated in a circular shape. The design features a series of circular pleats inspired by life cycles and rebirth. The fabric in this series is made of a polyester fiber developed by and in association with Toray Industries Inc. made from a 100% plant-based source*. Compared with the polyester fiber available in the market that is made from an about 30% plant[1]based source, this fiber in-development uses no petroleum in its source. Introducing this fiber in this particular series explores the potential of the material. This effort combines new future-oriented materials with ISSEY MIYAKE’s unique pleating technology. *ISO16620-1 3.1.5: 100% biobased synthetic polymer content.
LINKAGE is a seamless knit series that makes creative use of the roundness and sharpness that appear when various knitting techniques are combined. The fabric is made using recycled polyester. The garments’ patterns are created by mixing yarn in two different colors. Its vertical bounciness changes with the wearer’s movement, reminiscent of a living statue.
ASSEMBLAGE is a seamless knit series characterized by its transparency and three-dimensionality inspired by abstract molded forms. The light, bouncy design features delicate yarn and combines various knitting techniques. By layering the same material or combining colors, items can be worn in a variety of ways. Using knitwear, NUDE features a graphical representation of an abstract sculpture inspired by the body. The inner panels are made using sheer yarn, creating a draping and three-dimensional effect in a straight silhouette. The items can also be worn backwards, which enables them to be enjoyed from various angles, just like viewing a sculpture.
SCULPTURES is a series of accessories that features motifs from a group of sculptures created by the design team, which were reduced to accessory size by using 3D scanned data. The delicate forms made with brass and/or tin alloy faithfully reproduced the original sculpture counterparts, creating a lineup of jewelry that are easy to incorporate into everyday life.
