According to those at Issey Miyake, FW23 is all about thinking beyond the canvas. Hosted in the opulent Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris, the stage was set for an enchanting performance piece, accompanied by a live ensemble of warming harmonies courtesy of Trio SR9. From artistic director and designer Satoshi Kondo came a collection that felt appropriately Issey Miyake, where material and form knew no bounds, and honoured the pioneering legacy of the late designer. 

Graphics spread across symmetric tops and draped dresses and skirts, their distinctive square patterns printed atop woven fabric to further distort the original formation. Meanwhile, three-dimensional gingham was achieved through a process of intentional shrinking, creating a further contortion of rational shape. Handbags were gently draped in fabric, as if a simple piece of cloth were hanging under the arm of the wearer. The collection closed with a reference to its starting point; a capsule of voluminous outerwear that featured a single and striking printed square across the fabric. 

Issey Miyake continues to master the kind of detail that commands closer inspection. It was clean, technical – but also daring and strange. This was a collection that toed the line between convention and contradiction.