Issey Miyake presented his Men’s SS17 collection in the courtyard of the Pierre and Marie University in Paris. In the center of the courtyard, on an extremely hot day in the French capital, the Japanese band Kikagaku Moyo walked up in the center of the runway and began to play electronic music, as the first model walked from the side.
This collection, which was entitled “Journey From A White Page”, started out with all-white ensembles that had a very natural feel, with the designer utilizing cotton, linen and wool. As the music from the band increased in intensity, so did the complexity of the pieces. Models came out wearing more and more color, and obivously new-aged fabrics were introduced. Issey Miyake was inspired by the style in India, and clearly incorporated that into his new collection with long tunics, draped oversized linen scarves and harem style pants – but also added tie-dye fabric and prints in order to complete his collection and remain true to his aesthetic.
The runway show took place – very fittingly – on a 30 degree Celsius day, with each person in the audience fanning themselves wildly. It is a loud reminder to us all in the audience that clothing needs to be functional as well as stylish, and the linens and cottons that Issey showcased in this collection were exactly that. Surely the models were not sweating as much as the people watching the show, which made us realize even more just how wearable and comfortable this collection is.
