Ronan Bouroullec vowed to never adapt his growing body of abstract felt-tip drawings into patterns or motifs for clothing. Then Issey Miyake called, and he agreed within ten minutes. Bouroullec, who designed the A-POC flagship in Paris with his brother Erwan two decades ago, now reunites with the Japanese label with a collection for offshoot Homme Plissé Issey Miyake that translates his artwork’s spirit onto the brand’s signature pleated fabric garments. The process felt akin to “cooking,” he says, noting how he encouraged Issey Miyake’s design team to dive into each drawing and find the most captivating textures and details. “Each element needed attention to avoid overdoing it.”
That approach yielded a wondrously tactile collection that infuses the spirit of Bouroullec’s artwork onto Issey Miyake mainstays. Lush brushstrokes were silkscreen-printed onto all-white outerwear or scarves that can be worn as head wraps thanks to strategically placed arm holes. Puffer coats, meanwhile, are affixed with giant square pockets embroidered with ballpoint pen paintings; the coats can be stuffed inside, converting them into cushions. Blocky gradients of calm blues and greens adorn winter-appropriate pleated outerwear for an immersive touch. Presented at Palais de Tokyo on a runway reminiscent of a gallery, the garments were also mounted on walls as models walked by, proving how fine art can take many forms.
