For his Spring 2027 collection at Issey Miyake, creative director Satoshi Kondo explored ma, a Japanese concept describing the space or interval between things. His focus was the relationship between garments and the bodies wearing them, particularly the freedom created by the space in between.

The presentation at the Paris Dojo opened with 11 dancers, led by Tess Voelker, manipulating a vast piece of pale blue fabric as though it were one enormous garment shared by the entire group. As they moved beneath and around it, stretching, breathing and pulling at the material, the cloth took on different forms, billowing like a sail, rolling like a wave and expanding like a lung. The performance brought the collection’s central idea to life through movement.

That fluidity appeared again in a series of coats and skirts in lavender, pink and khaki. Their generous shapes caught the air as models walked, creating a sense of lightness and motion. In contrast, sculptural bodices resembled molded plaster forms. Created in collaboration with Japanese intimate-apparel company Wacoal, these pieces used a proprietary technology originally developed to shape bra cups. The technique was adapted to create torso-like structures that suggested fabric draped around the body, establishing its shape even before the garment was worn. A yellow vest and what appeared to be denim shorts also featured in this more structured direction.

Another standout section featured sculptural, fluid designs in black and blue Miyake pleated fabric. The material swirled around the models’ bodies and occasionally their heads, with the pleats creating the impression of brushstrokes lightly applied through the air.

Silver and blue satin-like ensembles introduced a deliberately crumpled finish, resembling clothes hurriedly packed into a suitcase. Their silhouettes were interrupted by rounded, puckered sections that looked as though the fabric had been pinched and squeezed between enormous fingers.

Layering provided another interpretation of ma. Patterned scarves were draped through long, understated dresses, while opaque sheath pieces were placed over other garments. The result was a play on clothing worn over clothing, creating additional layers and spaces within each look.

Through these ideas, Kondo and his team delivered a collection that combined poetic movement with technical innovation. It was an imaginative exploration of the relationship between fabric and the human form, showing how clothing can create space, movement and shape without losing its sense of ease.