Review: Homme Plissé Issey Miyake Spring/Summer 2023 Collection

Rather than reinventing the wheel, MDS and the Homme Plissé Issey Miyake design team has mastered the art of elevating Homme Plissé Issey Miyake's lane of pleats and movement. In past seasons, arch tents (Fall 2022), the human body (Spring 2022), and improvisation (Fall 2020) have served as inspiration for the menswear line. And with each presentation, industry insiders hold the clothes in high esteem for their movement and the collections for their range of athletic, casual, and evening wear offerings.

You could feel the excitement in the Poste du Louvre before the show started. From overhearing the PR girls elated to be back in Paris putting on a runway show since January 2020 to how fast the venue packed with showgoers --there wasn't an empty seat to fill. Intuition must have told us we were in for a show, and intuition didn't steer any of us in the wrong direction.

According to the show notes, this Homme Plissé Issey Miyake's Spring/summer 2023 collection, entitled Flowers and Vases, "explored the contrast between what's delicate and what's robust." The inspiration was most noticeable in the vibrant red, yellow, green, and purple hues you find on flower petals used to paint the ankle-grazing trousers and sleeveless tops layered over Granddad collar shirts. There were stem-like and abstract cotton plant-inspired prints and curved silhouettes around the neck and body to create vase-like shapes that allowed the garment's movement to shine as models, dancers, and gymnasts being basket tossed modeled the collection.

It was an anxiety-thrilling performance, literally and figuratively, that received a thundering ovation from the crowd. And like many in attendance who wore Homme Plissé Issey Miyake from previous seasons to this show, we expect to see this collection worn by the fashion mob at the next one.

Runway Looks Image Courtesy: Frédérique Dumoulin

Group Photo Image Courtesy: Olivier Baco