Today in Paris, Satoshi Kondo offered a meditative pause for Issey Miyake’s Autumn/Winter 2026–27 collection, staging a quiet investigation into the nature of creation itself. Entitled Creating, Allowing, the show considered a central question: to what extent should designers insist upon their intent to create, and when might it be more meaningful to leave space open so that beauty can emerge on its own.
Guests entered the space to discover a perfect rectangular runway of microscopic shredded aluminum foil; its surface shimmered under the lights while a man carefully swept to maintain its precise edge. As the show began, vertical columns of foil fell from above, cascading downward before the first model stepped forward.
This scenography echoed the philosophy behind the collection exploring the relationship between deliberate intervention in design and the presence of unfilled space. It proposed a creative process that does not attempt to control every outcome, but instead recognizes materials as they are, intervening only enough to frame their inherent beauty when worn on the human body.
That philosophy translated into silhouettes that felt both reductive and sculptural. Garments often began with the logic of a single piece of cloth, allowing form to emerge through drape, tension, and the movement of the wearer. Shapes alternated between elongated tubular columns, softly inflated volumes, and curved wrap constructions that spiralled around the torso. Tailoring appeared rarely but deliberately, introducing architectural shoulders or structured bustier-like forms that punctuated the otherwise fluid line of the collection.
The colour palette remained somewhat restrained and mineral-like, reinforcing the idea of material in its natural state before giving way to vibrant punches of soft acid green, turquoise, violet, pink, yellow and maroon. Muted shades of stone grey, charcoal, slate, chalk white, and deep ink black dominated the opening looks, occasionally warmed by earthy browns and lacquered reddish tones that nodded to traditional Japanese craft. The overall effect was one of quiet depth rather than contrast with colours that felt considered and of the moment.
Several pieces illustrated these ideas through their craft and construction. The press notes divided the garments into conceptual series. In ALLOW, intervention was minimized by forming garments from a single piece of cloth zipped into a tubular shape. Once worn, the fabric created a naturally three-dimensional drape that shifted with the body. The textile—woven with stretch yarn and a washi blend developed for the collection—produced a subtly heathered surface reminiscent of moldable stone.
Texture became another language of restraint in the FOUND STONE knit series. Here, rib, garter, and mesh structures were combined through seamless knitting technology. Twisted polyester yarns produced a rough, stone-like surface while remaining surprisingly lightweight. In contrast, HANDSOME KNIT introduced a more pronounced silhouette through a sculptural tailored shoulder, achieved by knitting a wool exterior over a stretch recycled-polyester interior that held its architectural form.
Other pieces explored the boundary between completion and incompletion. In UNTITLED, expansive panels of draped wool were treated with resin, giving the material a supple body and faint sheen. WRING PLEATS combined machine pleating with hand-wrung twists, creating rippling movement across a luminous surface that shifted with every step. In CALLIGRAPH, a single continuous curve of fabric wrapped the body in fluid layers, while CORRELATION paired a coat retaining the logic of one piece of cloth with a voluminous circular skirt that expanded outward from the waist.
One of the most striking series appeared at the opening and close of the show. Inspired by the obi sash and the structure of a bustier, the URUSHI BODY silhouettes mixed rigid sculptural forms with more fluid draping. Created by artisans in the Echizen region of Fukui Prefecture, the handmade washi paper was layered and then lacquered in Kyoto using traditional urushi techniques, producing gleaming surfaces that contrasted with the softness of the garments surrounding them.
Footwear continued this dialogue through a collaboration with Camper. In their second project with the Spanish brand, the shoes were designed around the sensation of wearing footwear like socks: a soft stretch knit upper wrapped closely around the foot, balanced by a sleek, sculptural outsole.
As the show progressed, the runway itself became a record of interaction between material, people, and clothing. The shimmering field of foil shifted continuously beneath the models’ steps, each movement altering its surface in an irreversible way.
Discover the collection below.
Images courtesy of Issey Miyake.