Japanese label Issey Miyake paid tribute to its late founder at Paris Fashion Week on Friday with the sort of choreographed dance show that he pioneered.
A black and white portrait of Miyake, who died last month at the age of 84, was projected on the walls and the show began solemnly with sober monochrome outfits.
But the dancers turned to floatier, lighter clothing and a more dreamlike atmosphere as the show progressed – reflecting the label’s trademark style.
It was in the 1990s that Miyake teamed up with famed choreographer William Forsyth to incorporate dancers into models for catwalk shows.
It was unprecedented at the time – but commonplace now, as seen at the Dior show earlier this week.
Miyake, who focused on fabrics that allowed freedom of movement, also worked with the choreographer on the costumes for his 1991 ballet “The Loss of Small Detail.”
The collection presented on Friday was inspired by sculpture, where three-dimensional silhouettes were created with a single piece of fabric and prints made from clay shapes were hand applied to the fabric to provide relief and texture. .
The house also introduced a new material, called “vegetable polyester”, which does not use petroleum products.
