“[W]e find beauty not in the thing itself but in the patterns of shadows, the light and the darkness, that one thing against another creates”.

Junichiro Tanizaki – In Praise of Shadows

It is no coincidence that at the last Salone del Mobile in Milan, these words of Tanizaki accompanied the lighting project In-Ei (Japanese for shadow, shading, nuance) designed by Issey Miyake and his Reality Lab and built by Artemide, which is now permanently housed in the Design section of the MoMa in New York.

Rooted in traditional Japanese aesthetics, the art of light and shadow has in fact always been at the centre of the technological and conceptual experimentation of Maison Issey Miyake. This shows respect for the heritage of the past that is comparable only to the same willingness to push the limits set by the material fabric.

Tania Braukamper of Fashionising.com, using an effective metaphor dedicated to the collection during the season, said:

Heritage is carried through, like a flame lit in the past that helps light the future: but it doesn’t dictate.

Designed by Yoshiyuki Miyamae, the creative director of the Maison, the Spring/Summer 2013 collection is a triumph of visual effects, lights, shadows and new three-dimensional micro-inlays. Geometric patterns, checks and diagonals serve as a link between creativity and mathematical analysis.

The pleats are enhanced, creating visual effects in which the perfection of the geometric formula applied to the fabric simulates the aesthetic imperfection (wabi-sabi) of deteriorating objects.

Shades of colour and small steps staggered in a grid effect transform the precision into fun, engaging the gaze in an amazement and wonder that only things never seen before can offer. Knits in continual metamorphosis as they react to the physical movement of the wearer or t-shirts and clothes made using extremely complicated techniques of casting and separating polyester, which can be seen from the moulded perimeter of contrasting colour.

Energetic hues celebrate a collection so exuberant and futuristic that it radiates energy and joy both to those who see and those who wear. Another generous lesson from Miyake!

Photos by  Sari Milan