Dear Shaded Viewers,
A few days ago, under the golden light of a Tuscan summer evening, Issey Miyake’s Homme Plissé made its debut as Guest of Honour at Pitti Uomo. The setting was Villa Medicea della Petraia, a former Medici residence just outside Florence, its Renaissance gardens and frescoed courtyards providing a backdrop that bridged centuries of art and influence. The choice of location was no accident; it signaled a new chapter for the Japanese house—a move away from the traditional fashion week circuit toward a more nomadic, immersive approach.
The collection, titled Amid Impasto of Horizons, was inspired by Italy’s landscapes and everyday textures, with the design team traveling across the country to capture the hues of Tuscan fields, Adriatic beaches, and ancient fabrics. The result was a palette both delicate and vivid—yellows, oranges, browns, and greens drawn from real-life Italian moments, each color thoughtfully matched to swatches collected during the team’s journeys. The garments themselves, true to the Miyake legacy, were defined by their signature pleats—heat-pressed, technically advanced, and never creasing, even when folded for travel.
But this was more than a runway show. It was the launch of Homme Plissé’s “Open Studio” initiative, a concept that invites the world into the brand’s creative process, much like artists opening their studios to the public. The villa was transformed into an exhibition space, where guests could explore the research, material experiments, and the evolution of the pleating techniques that define the collection. Installations featured sculptural pleated fabrics, color swatches, and early prototypes, offering a rare glimpse into the brand’s methodical, artisanal approach.
On the runway—or rather, the garden paths—models moved with an ease and grace that reflected the collection’s ethos: lightness, practicality, and a quiet confidence. There were asymmetric “painter’s” waistcoats, voluminous jackets that doubled as travel bags, and tailored pieces in linen-like textures that shimmered subtly in the evening light. Every look contained at least one pleated element, a tribute to Issey Miyake’s pioneering vision.
The show’s atmosphere was one of gentle elegance and understated drama. Guests sipped cocktails infused with gin, ouzo, and Japanese tea, served by waiters in pleated jackets, while models wandered among the garden’s sculptures and frescoes. There was no designer bow, no climactic finale—just a sense of reverence for the clothes and the legacy they carried.
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In a moment when men’s fashion is seeking new energy and direction, Homme Plissé’s appearanceat Pitti Uomo was a reminder of what great design can achieve: a blend of art, technology, and humanity. The collection was a tribute to travel, to the act of discovery, and to the enduring power of a single, simple idea—the pleat—to inspire and transform.
Florence, with its history and its light, was the perfect stage for this new chapter in the Issey Miyake story. The show was not just about what men will wear next summer, but about how fashion can continue to move, adapt, and inspire—wherever it goes next.
Later,
Diane
