The free forms of the IM MEN FW26 collection This season, the brand seeks essence beyond form.
In a historical moment in which fashion seeks to redefine its boundaries, the IM MEN FW26 collection, titled Formless Form, reaffirms the brand's ability (the men's branch of the great Issey Miyake tree) to balance complete creative freedom with an absolute focus on the product, organized, as usual, into several "series" united by a certain type of workmanship or common functionality. Presented as a series of sculptural and purist looks rendered in white and black, with progressive explosions of color, the show continues the long reflection on the potential of a simple piece of fabric.
During the show, a sense emerged that formality is not imposed by rigid schemes, but springs from an inner essence, where the abstract beauty of the silhouettes translates into versatile and pragmatic garments, however conventionally elegant. Inspired by the shifting colors of the sky, ranging from the black of night to the violet of dawn and the blue and yellow of midday, the collection turns fabric into a medium for inner expression. The proposal, however, unlike the previous collection, opens a dialogue with traditional men's tailoring that at first glance is recognizable but in reality becomes increasingly experimental look after look.
A triumph of outerwear
The outerwear dominated the collection, perhaps the best incarnation of the brand's philosophy. Among them, the DAWN series stands out, evoking the changing sky at dawn, made with manual dyeing on a single piece of fabric with colors softly fading in three tones. Each garment in the series is individually crafted with clean cuts, and the front panel, inspired by an overlapping stole, allows it to be closed like a double-breasted, making it mutable just like the light it seeks to capture.
Another highlight is the OVERLAP series coat with lapels and rain shield, derived from a single layer of cotton-nylon blend, treated with a wash that enriches its organic texture. By unbuttoning the cuffs, it transforms into a poncho, while the shoulder straps allow the silhouette to be modified by lifting the fabric. No less noteworthy is the RAFT series, with long coats using an opaque and textured fabric, “stuffed” with recycled polyester insulation in cord-like form. The quilting creates sculptural volumes that trap heat like a down jacket but with a decisive change in aesthetics.
Finally, a series of wool pieces with integrated selvedge belongs to the SELVEDGE WOOL line, entirely produced in a specialized Japanese region, which folds into square structures. Once worn, the folds generate fluid drapes and the brand's lettering, interwoven along the edges, makes their silhouette stand out.
The metamorphosis of tops
Another chapter of the collection was represented by jackets and blousons, all played on contrasts of materials and the use of historical techniques. A wool line from the FRONT BACK series features matte outer surfaces contrasted with glossy satin interiors. The movement of the sleeves when walking reveals the lining at the collar and cuffs; by removing the sleeves, the garment becomes a long vest, while they can be rolled up as a hood or stole.
Then there is the KASURI series, based on the traditional technique that weaves yarns dyed in different shades of blue and other colors, creating linear patterns with slight misalignments. On the runway, a blouson was seen constructed from a rectangle of fabric that generates asymmetric drapes and adapts thanks to adjustable buttons on the chest.
In a sculptural variant of the CLAY series, the fabric then combines flat structures with elastic ribbed sections that contract with heat, forming ever-different silhouettes. An additional cropped line from the GRADATION WOOL series uses individually dyed wool yarns each with its own color and, by opening the side zips, divides into separate ensembles.
Pants and accessories
Moving below the waistline, the pants maintain the relaxed and wide lines typical of the brand. Several pants belong to a series with wide legs in hand-dyed wool, again from the GRADATION WOOL line, which also includes a matching jumpsuit to cropped jackets that opens into two pieces thanks to a zip. There are also asymmetric pants with a rectangular cut and another pair made of washed cotton-nylon with a voluminous fit that allow the silhouette to be altered.
Always complementing the looks, the accessories extend the theme of essential form that dominated the show. There are natural leather bags from the LEATHER PLEATS series constructed in folded leather, soft to the touch and designed to develop a glossy patina over time. But there are also more fun pieces in the TO GO series that remake the shape of disposable coffee cups but in leather, implementing in a more pop way the collection's idea of discovering the hidden beauty of the everyday through garments that adapt to the wearer's life, without formal constraints.
