MANIFESTO

#64

MUSE TWENTY FANZINE

What Has Always Been

2024.03.02

Text by Francesca Fontanesi

Capturing the essence of dressing as a deeply and intuitively rooted human habit, Issey Miyake’s FW24 collection follows organic shapes and textures that evoke a warm and primordial atmosphere. From fluid drapes to voluminous silhouettes, each piece seems to convey a sense of freedom and nomadism.

A mint and turquoise knitted dress with extremely long sleeves opens the runway, combined with a knitted tube that elongates around the neck and covers the head like a bell-shaped flower. Another ribbed structure wraps around the bust, and thus a series of dresses characterized by sculptural forms inaugurates the collection. Made in a fabric already presented in SS 2024 and with a lightweight and textural texture, the silhouettes are the result of careful study of shapes. Lightweight materials in washi paper and elastic fibers give the dresses softness in volumes; they almost seem like metaphysical elements. Next come triacetate and linen pants, whose silhouette – obviously, asymmetric – is obtained by exploiting the width of a piece of square fabric. The seamless knitwear in the series is inspired by natural forms, the bust and the ribbed sleeves contrast with the floral shapes on the cuffs and garter-stitched edges. The sleeves wrap around the neck and body, and everything never loses its typical three-dimensionality. Rich drapes move together with voluminous silhouettes, while maintaining throughout the collection a warm, primordial textured atmosphere. The act of dressing the body is something that precedes the intentional creation of clothes.

This collection is not defined by era and context, but rather develops from a primitive and universal act, evoking a sense of originality.

For Issey Miyake, approaching this activity leads to the discovery of draping, layering, folding, and twisting, asymmetric shapes, and playfulness, resulting in garments with organic forms and minimal manipulation. In a color palette ranging from pastel green to teal, from black to purple, and from cream to fuchsia, the silhouettes appear fluid and flexible. The brand’s traditional pleats open up into a sort of cloak made of various layers of ultra-lightweight fabric, and the seamless tubular knits are worn inside out and reversed.

Breaking the parade is the Behind the Scenes series, which deliberately showcases the process behind the construction of seamless knitwear, while the subsequent series is based on the concept of stacked color blocks knitted without seams with a double-layer construction. As the models continue down the runway, each garment appears to have two levels and is worn in various ways, visually manipulating the two-tone section or slipping body and arms into different openings. Eye-catching prints depicting the natural dynamism of wildflowers follow, while the shrinking effect caused by cotton and wool during the felting process boldens the texture and details of the collection. The shoulders of coats and ponchos are pleated. Circular and rectangular folds disappear on veiled fabrics, made by alternating thin and transparent polyester yarns with thicker ones, to ensure that the structure is delicate yet rigid at the same time. The wide and airy silhouettes recall the figure of a wandering nomad. The palette includes a vivid pink reminiscent of the sunset, while khaki evokes the cool tone of the sky – a moment before nightfall.

“There is a power, an energy, and a strength that we find only in nature or in something truly essential”.

– Satoshi Kondo

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