The question at the centre of IM Men’s FW26 collection was: “Could the sensation that rises in everyday life, that makes you want to straighten up, be expressed through a piece of cloth?” The IM Men line, which succeeded Homme Plissé as Miyake’s on-schedule menswear offering, has swiftly established itself as one of Paris’s most intellectually grounded shows. Always accompanied by several pages of show notes, the designers behind IM Men’s collections not only want you to dress well, but they want you to actively think about what it means to “dress” “well”.

As always, the FW26 collection was made up of numerous different series. The Clay series, equally formal and casual, featured sculptural garments constructed from a unique heat-reactive material. The Overlap coat, which was a versatile overcoat, could be fully deconstructed to form numerous silhouettes. Another series, Raft, focused on outerwear with fully padded forms. The quilted coats were insulated with recycled polyester, offering warmth without stuffiness. And the Front Back was a series made from wool fabric, again encompassing outerwear, including coats and jackets which could be taken apart and worn in warmer months.

The highlight of the collection was the Dawn series. Each piece showcased a hand-crafted three-colour gradation that echoed the shifting hues of the sky from morning to dusk. Individually cut and sewn, the garments were finished with clean, precise lines.

On the accessories front, several bags were constructed from natural leather and, naturally, incorporated oversized pleats. An adorable new micro bag, titled To Go, also made its debut. It was modelled after a takeaway coffee cup, but rendered in leather and carried by a long shoulder strap.