Satoshi Kondo was inspired by the sub-aquatic and titled the Issey Miyake Spring 2022 RTW collection “A Voyage in Descent.”

This collection is inspired by a voyage into the deep sea, beginning with a portrayal of the silence and tranquility first felt in the water, and continuing to the uplifting sensation of making new discoveries in the deep sea. This voyage serves as inspiration to the original designs and making of the collection expressed through fluid, dynamic garments and lightweight, glistening materials.

Hand-painted in Kyoto, the early-run group of oversized pants, a skirt, and a one-shouldered dress were dried in a manner designed to create a glistening finish that was less evident in the film or images than to the eye. A middle-section group, this time printed with a technique named naki, designed to allow colors to bleed together and blend, looked sometimes floral but was based on undersea creatures. We resurfaced with a series of friendly anemone hats at the conclusion. This deep dive into the potential of fabric research to transform the possibilities of design was 360 degrees delightful, most especially those springily Slinky dresses and the strikingly spiralized knitwear.