A masterful display of fashion, art, and performance, Issey Miyake unveiled its Autumn/Winter 2025 collection at the Carrousel du Louvre. The show took place in a vast white space, anchored by an off-center sculpture depicting two figures connected by a shared sweater.
As guests arrived, a troupe of actors performed Austrian artist Erwin Wurm’s “One Minute Sculptures,” setting the tone for a collection centering on ambiguity and transformation. Engaging in fluid, sculptural movements, the performers gradually contorted into and out of vibrant garments with slow, deliberate gestures, creating evolving shapes until the first model stepped onto the runway.
Satoshi Kondo’s 50-look collection explored dualities—structure and fluidity, precision and organic movement, abundance and restraint—with garments that shifted and evolved with every step. Titled “[N]either [N]or,” the collection challenged conventional perceptions of the way we dress through dynamic forms, innovative materials, and advanced techniques.
The opening look, a long white short-sleeve dress printed with a vivid knit graphic and belly-level pockets, perfectly balanced abstraction and concreteness. This motif continued through a series of sculptural seamless knits in red, white and black, some featuring multiple layers that, while cocoon-like, remained invitingly soft.
Standout pieces included voluminous outerwear, sculptural knitted hats, and billowing fabrics that played with concealment and revelation. Movement was integral to the presentation, with each garment responding to the wearer’s gestures, echoing Wurm’s exploration of fleeting, performative art. As models glided down the runway, pleats unfurled, fabric shifted, and silhouettes transformed in real time.
The collection also reimagined wardrobe staples, distorting familiar forms while maintaining a sense of individuality. Floor-length coats with zippers and belly pockets, sweaters with optional sleeves layered in bold hues, and gradient-edged shirts with dual collars offered multiple ways to wear, allowing for adaptability through simple adjustments. An oversized paper shopping bag with imaginary exhibition details poses the question, “Can anything be considered a garment, as long as it’s on the body?”
Signature pleated polyester appeared in vibrant stripes, cascading down the runway in green and white candy hues, canary yellow, and complimentary electric blue. Oversized coats, dresses, sweaters, and hats were manipulated asymmetrically, their rigid, almost papier-mâché-like structures defying expectations. The collection notes detail the innovative process of blending wool and alpaca yarn with thermoplastic fibers, which harden under heat, creating crisp edges and an unexpected sheen.
Kondo’s collection invited audiences into the Issey Miyake design language, where precision meets organic movement and garments transcend wearability, becoming extensions of the body. This striking vision reaffirmed the brand’s legacy of innovation, pushing the boundaries of fashion and challenging our relationship with clothing itself.
