What encouraged you to present a new approach to men's fashion?
Issey Miyake has always been thinking of new ways to meet the needs of the times. This is part of his tireless challenge to create everyday wear that is universal for a diversity of wearers.
How would you define IM Men collections?
The Im Men Autumn-Winter 25-26 collection was created from Issey Miyake's concept of “a piece of cloth” and the male body, and combines “functionality” and “beauty” in garments that support everyday life. Taking deep consideration of the wearer's body, movement and daily life, the collection accompanies the wearer, not only on special occasions, but also in all aspects of life. The products are imbued the feeling of ease while bringing richness and freedom in how they are worn. The collection was inspired by Issey Miyake's 1977 runway show “Fly with Issey Miyake”’ in Japan. In this show, he embodied a beautiful piece of fabric and models enjoying it freely. Just as he has liberated people through concrete ideas such as pleats and A-Poc, we aim to create products that transcend all the barriers that society holds and bring new perspectives and freedom to many people. The concept for this season, “Fly with Im Men” looks at the exploratory approach to new ideas by taking courageous, free and optimistic steps.
What are the most notable differences from Homme Plissé Issey Miyake?
We actively incorporate a variety of methodologies, not limited to pleating techniques. We pursue the possibilities of craftsmanship through diverse approaches, such as combining the latest technology with traditional Japanese techniques, without setting limits on the choice of materials or processing methods.
How did you translate Mr. Miyake's vision into this new project?
Issey Miyake's concept of “new everyday wear” is a product that combines functionality and beauty, and is made from the integration of design and engineering. To achieve this, it is essential to have a deep understanding of the garment-making process from a cross-sectional and multifaceted perspective. As a concrete methodology for this, our design team, consisting of members with expertise in both design and engineering, works in unison to make things.
How did you develop the A-Poc features for IM Men?
Some typical examples are.
1) Flat foldable (compact) design
The compactness of belongings is one of the most important factors in the present day, where transportation has accelerated and sufficient living space is hard to come by. The structural design that goes back and forth between three-dimensional and flat surfaces, combined with a technology that fixes folds by heat processing, has resulted in a design that can be easily flattened (compacted). They also make ironing and hangers unnecessary.
2) Wrinkle-resistant, lightweight fabric
In everyday life, it is also important that they are easy to move around in, and easy to care for. Pieces can be worn comfortably as loungewear and can even be taken straight out of the house. They can be used freely in all everyday situations.
3) Original design with conscious of human movement
The designs by Im Men are closely linked to human movement. For example, by utilising machine pleats, tucked pleats and more organically shaped pleats, such as wrinkles, the garment has a structure that naturally follows to the body's movements.
4) Made from a single piece of fabric and designed to minimise residual fabric
We also committed to making products from a single piece of cloth while using up as much fabric as possible. This contributes to sustainable production by reducing the assembly process and the effort required to recycle leftover fabric. The silhouette with spaces, “ma” in Japanese, created from a single piece of cloth creates a variety of expressions that follow the wearer's movements and body.
What defines men’s elegance in a contemporary context?
A willingness to grasp the essence of things without being carried away by transience. We believe that it is also important to have deep thoughtfulness and optimism.
Do trends still matter?
Trends cannot be ignored as a reflection of human nature. However, we do not use them as a starting point in making products. We believe that they are only an element that emerges when you see a result.
This interview has been lightly edited.
