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This season, the Japanese fashion brand’s pleated designs take on the sculptural forms of tents
At its core, the eponymous fashion brand founded by Issey Miyake is guided by the principle of turning the ordinary into the extraordinary. The late, brilliant Japanese fashion designer most notably achieved that with pleating, a humble, ancient technique that radically transformed his clothes into awe-inspiring, architectural forms without sacrificing comfort and movement.
The many possibilities of pleats are explored in the brand’s menswear diffusion line, Homme Plissé Issey Miyake. Helmed by Satoshi Kondo, the label speaks to the practical sensibilities of the modern man; its garments, crafted from fabrics that are wrinkle-resistant, quick-drying and lightweight, are made to be lived in.
That idea is expressed more directly in the brand’s fall/winter 2022 collection, A Work of Arc, for which the starting point was a tent. As the home of a nomad or someone attuned to nature, a tent is defined by its three-dimensional structure and its portability—two qualities that Kondo and his team sought to infuse in their designs this season.
This gave rise to the Arc garments, which are made with curving pleats to mimic the form of a tent held up by poles. When worn, the clothes create intriguing silhouettes upon the body, with arches gracefully rising along the wearer’s back, arms and legs. The effect is most alluring on the Arc pants, which offer the looseness and ease of a pair of sweatpants, but are undoubtedly sophisticated thanks to their pleated folds.
Read more: Rest in Pleats: Fashion Designer Issey Miyake Dies at 84
More of that Miyake magic of elevating the everyday garment is seen in the Bow tank top and pants, whose elegant layers—a nod to a tarp stretched over a tent—create a visual spectacle.
There are also the Frame coats, a series of padded outerwear pieces that feature piping— another detail borrowed from tents—that are functional, allowing the wearer to adjust the hems.
Homme Plissé Issey Miyake plays with colour just as much as cut, and this season’s palette follows the hues often used on tents, from bright oranges and reds to deep greens and earthy browns.
These striking colours not only emphasise the sculptural peaks and valleys of the pleats that run all along the garments, but also inject a sense of vibrancy to any ensemble. And we mean “any”: the collection is comprised of versatile pieces that can easily adapt to various looks, occasions and settings.
