Revealed at the Palais de Tokyo during Paris Fashion Week Menswear for the Fall/Winter 2024 season, the HOMME PLISSÉ ISSEY MIYAKE AW24 line, christened “Immersed in the Wilds of Creativity,” showcases the vibrant fruits of a joint creative endeavor with French designer Ronan Bouroullec. Rather than merely exhibiting Bouroullec’s signature series “Drawing” as a static display, the collection weaves his artistic vision into the fabric of the clothing, marrying it with the brand’s signature pleating technique.
The artistry of Bouroullec becomes a cornerstone in the collection’s aesthetic, breathing life and energy into each piece. This range delves into the symbiosis of fashion and art, transforming the blank canvas of the original artwork into the very shape and form of the clothing. Bouroullec’s lively sketches come to life in the form of knits, dynamic designs, intricate stitch work, and flowing shapes, draping the models in a variety of items including shirts, jackets, scarves, and even decorative pillows.
Ronan Bouroullec (RB): My connection with Issey Miyake stretches back many years. At 16, I attended a major exhibition of Miyake’s work in Paris, which was one of my first trips to the city, specifically to see this showcase. Miyake has been a significant presence throughout my life. My initial engagement with the brand dates back nearly a quarter-century when Issey Miyake’s team approached me to design a store for them in Paris. I declined immediately, as I’m not an interior designer. However, after some reflection, considering Miyake’s longstanding importance to me, my brother and I took on the project and created the A-POC store.
About a year and a half ago, the team reached out again, this time with the idea of incorporating my drawings into a new collection. I initially refused, as I’ve had numerous offers from various fashion brands to use my drawings over the past decade, and I’m generally not keen on the idea. But within minutes, I reconsidered. I trust the Issey Miyake team; they are respectful, creative, and good listeners. I’ve observed that the company’s ethos has remained consistent over the years, with a team that is kind and straightforward. This made me think that collaborating with them could be a rewarding experience.
HOMME PLISSÉ ISSEY MIYAKE (HPIM): Our collection contemplates the journey from inspiration to tangible creation. In Ronan’s drawings, we discovered a poetic and robust essence. The more we engaged with his art, the more we envisioned the potential for his drawings to be transformed into something full of life and movement. It’s this intrinsic quality and depth in his work that propelled us to utilize the drawings in a multitude of inventive ways, going beyond simply applying them as prints and patterns.