It's 2019 and the way that we dress have undoubtedly changed and evolved. We're seeing the loosening of strict dress codes in the workplace, as well as the blurring of lines between what is formal and casual. In fact, as I'm writing this in the office, I'm wearing a pair of ripped jeans, an oversized tunic shirt and boots; not your conventional workplace attire for sure.
At ISSEY MIYAKE MEN, designer Yusuke Takahashi understands the sign of the times. Since his first collection for the brand, there's a clear vision that always traipse the line between casual and formal. An ISSEY MIYAKE MEN suit has never been rigid or stuffy, but is often lightweight and soft. The brand's idea of tailoring has consistently been slouchy and has an almost airy quality. Couple that with the distinctly Japanese aesthetic, ISSEY MIYAKE MEN is the perfect hybrid.
The concept is taken a step further for spring/summer 2019 in its light-inspired collection. The foundation of the collection revolves around the shirt—a garment that has been reinterpreted countless of times and embodies the hybridisation of formal and casual. Takahashi created white shirts in flowy silhouettes that are constructed in soft cotton-polyester blends that have just the right amount of density to wear them as super light outerwear. And to emphasise on the collection's vision, some are designed in cotton jersey to mimic the feel of a T-shirt.
A lightweight construction is evident throughout ISSEY MIYAKE MEN's spring/summer 2019 collection. But the idea of 'light' is also interpreted somewhat literally. Like the effect of sunlight (or lack of), the collection takes on a spectrum of colours and treatments from light to dark, and variations of the rainbow.
With the aid of technology, patterns are woven into lightweight fabrics to create a precise jacquard material that can hardly be achieved by hand. These patterns are an abstract expression of how light is seen in between shapes and lines. To mimic shadows, Takahashi employed the use of traditional hand-dyed techniques like kasuri (a Japanese version of Ikat), batik and tie-dye.
ISSEY MIYAKE MEN is proposing that you keep things light this season. Beyond the lightweight wardrobe and the light-inspired patterns and techniques, fuss less about the constraints of dress codes. Your wardrobe doesn't have to be restricted to pieces that are good for just one end of the dress code spectrum.
View the ISSEY MIYAKE MEN spring/summer collection in the gallery above. ISSEY MIYAKE MEN is available at 02-07/10 Hilton Hotel Singapore.
