Let’s Fly Away: Poesy & Functionality of the new Brand IM MEN

This season, Issey Miyake presented a new brand in Paris: IM MEN. The label, launched in 2021 in Japan, made a stunning debut with a poetic yet highly functional collection. The show was followed by an exhibition entitled “Fly with IM MEN”, open to all Parisians to discover the new brand and the wonderful techniques behind it. Here is everything you need to know about the new label by Issey Miyake.

Issey-san always believed that our wardrobes should be functional and that every fashion item starts with a simple “piece of cloth”. He even launched a special label in the ‘70s called “im product” (it shot down in the '90s), centred around functional clothing pieces - and it’s this very line that inspired Issey-san to debut a new brand IM MEN in 2021, just one year before his death, which carries on his spirit to create a new universality and beauty, based on innovation and technological research. Who designs for this new label? There are actually three designers with different backgrounds that complement each other. This team was formed by Issey Miyake himself. At the helm is Sen Kawahara, whose illustrious journey through design engineering and eyewear manifests in creations that marry meticulous precision with imaginative flair. Alongside him, Yuki Itakura, a luminary with a rich tenure at Pleats Please and 132 5., deftly translates structural experimentation into garments that are as wearable as they are revolutionary. Completing this triumvirate is Nobutaka Kobayashi, whose decade-long dedication to textile design for Issey Miyake’s womenswear and Homme Plissé infuses the brand with a tapestry of material innovation and sumptuous textures. Together, they embark on a collaborative odyssey, reimagining menswear through experimental processes, crafting pieces that seamlessly integrate technology and creativity, all while celebrating the boundless spirit of human ingenuity and discovery. Never presented before in Europe, now the new label, which has a huge fan base in Asia (especially in Japan, China and Singapore) will take over Issey Miyake Homme Plissé's place in the calendar of Paris Fashion Week.

So what do the ideas brought forth by IM MEN over the past four years look like? A rich sample is revealed in this new autumn-winter 2025/2026 collection, showcasing a variety of innovative materials: a polyester suede made from sugarcane molasses — a world first for the clothing industry, pioneered by Issey Miyake — artificial sheepskin, and nylons produced from castor and corn fibres. Beyond the formal innovations enabled by these techniques, they reflect IM MEN’s studios’ commitment to sustainability, animal welfare, and tackling plastic pollution. The innovative techniques behind these materials were explained in detail in the videos at the exhibition, featuring an installation designed by Tokujin Yoshioka, drawing inspiration from a dialogue between traditional Japanese craftsmanship and modern technology, as well as the philosophy behind a piece of cloth.

An embodiment of harmony, the square materialised by Tokujin Yoshioka’s installation stands as the leitmotif of the collection. Thus, artificial sheepskin jackets feature right-angled sleeves, several quilted tops showcase diamond patterns, while the square appears in a checkerboard design on a loose coat crafted using the traditional kasuri weaving technique. The geometric shape returned in majesty during the show’s finale, when a handful of models suddenly stopped on the catwalk to show how to transform their colourful trenches into a large square of fabric, only to start running just afterwards, stretching it behind them like wings. And this is how IM MEN took off in Paris and invited all of us to fly away.

Courtesy: Issey Miyake

Text: Lidia Ageeva