Images and Article from vmagazine.com.
Titled ‘Sow It and Let It Grow,’ the bold collection looked to the beauty of flora and fauna as inspiration.
Titled ‘Sow It and Let It Grow,’ the bold collection looked to the beauty of flora and fauna as inspiration.
Having been stuck behind phone screens and Zoom windows for the past couple of years, the fashion industry, and society as a whole, is ready to reunite with nature. Whether it be floral-filled motifs or outerwear-ready silhouettes, designer’s are increasingly looking to the beauty of nature as sartorial inspiration in a post-pandemic world.
This season, Japanese label Issey Miyake toyed with the ever-changing qualities of plants, specifically the development from a seed, to roots, to sprouts, and finally, towards the light of the sun. Too, Creative Director Satoshi Kondo employed color as a way to narrate this metamorphosis, seen in the collection’s pops of deep orange, royal purple, and sunflower yellow.
Irregular, organic silhouettes took center stage throughout the refined collection, appearing in the form tiered ruched dresses, watercolor trousers, and asymmetrical tailoring. Starting with a slew of muted hues, Kondo then transitioned to dynamic tones that harkened to the development and beauty of foliage. Traditional shiborizome dying techniques coupled with state-of-the-art fabrication created a thoughtful conversation between the hand craft and technology.
Splashes of prints and flowing separates interacted with abstract, oblong evening dresses—a forte that the brand has become known for—in a way that was intriguing while remaining wearable for the everyday. Kondo’s knack for tailored shaping in all its glory was on full display this season, especially when it concerned the printed outerwear and layered suiting.
The label also released an immersive video—directed by Yuichi Kodama—that re-upped its narrative about the evolution of nature. Set against a dimly lit stage, Kondo’s knit pieces and airy dresses are strewn across the floor, meant to resemble roots spreading across the earth. As models bump into one another and bounce into walls, the fluid characteristics of nature and Kondo’s ready-to-wear are beautifully intertwined.
“A seed drops into fertile soil. Asleep in the dark taking in warmth, water, and air, it awaits germination,” a poem by the brand read. “There, roots begin to creep downward; There, a sprout emerges and extends upward. The roots by nature force their way onward in every direction, for the fruits that they will eventually bear.”
Credits: Images Courtesy of Issey Miyake.
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