In the jungles of creativity with Ronan Bouroullec

Issey Miyake's Homme Plissé collaborated with French design grandmaster Ronan Bouroullec this season and the result was an unexpected and jubilant collection.

Presented inside the Palais de Tokyo, on whose curved walls were flattened garments inspired by the meticulous drawings of Ronan Bouroullec. Many cut into a puzzle shape, which made it difficult to imagine them hanging from the torso, until plaster came along using them.

Ronan Bouroullec uses felt-tipped Japanese brushes with meticulous, delicate strokes to create a meditative style. An ideal complement to Miyake clothing, which are usually generously sized garments made of pleated polyester.

Ronan had already worked with the Miyake house, back in 2000, designing its famous A-POC store concept. Like Brittany-born Bouroullec, whose style is often described as poetic practicality, this collection seemed lush, evocative but also enveloping and comforting.

Many were models wrapped in asymmetrical coats in bold colors (fresh green, purple-like mauve), all worn over a series of fantastic shirts, tank tops and ribbed tops, with Bouroullec's swirling brushstrokes. Several coats were made from a single piece of fabric, respecting founder Issey's sculptural style and love for a single piece of beautiful fabric.

A black model with a super spiky afro, proudly paraded in a Venetian red coat, paired with bright orange pants, looking simply sensational. The entire collection is based on low-top Chelsea boots, with plenty of ankle on display.

It's no surprise that the house titled the collection Immersed in the Wilds of Creativity, since the clothes were so vibrant and dynamic.

Miyake, one of the Four Masters of post-war Japanese fashion along with Kenzo Takada, Yohji Yamamoto and Rei Kawakubo, died in August 2022 at the age of 84 after an outstanding career. Although the aesthetic he created with his brand is still very strong. So much so that this collaboration with Ronan Bouroullec looks set to be one of the key shows of the 13-day international menswear season that will culminate in Paris on Sunday night.

Miyake, who in his youth worked for Hubert de Givenchy producing more than 50 drawings a day, would surely have loved this elegant take on painterly fashion. Vita artem imitatur.

Since this collection was created by a design team, no one received any applause. But if they had, they should have bowed down to Miyake San and her inimitable DNA.