There are runway shows that present clothes, and then there are those that present a philosophy. IM Men’s Spring/Summer 2026 collection, Dancing Texture, did the latter, delivering a show that felt less like a traditional fashion presentation and more like a meditative performance piece.
Held in the serene garden of the Fondation Cartier pour l’Art Contemporain, a glass-and-greenery haven designed by Jean Nouvel, the show was inspired by the pioneering Japanese ceramicist Shoji Kamoda. Dancing Texture explores the notion of garments as living sculptures, forming an introspective dialogue between Kamoda’s pottery and the IM Men design team. The result is a series of garments that echoes the meditative power of clay, reinterpreted through textile.
The show opened with figures camouflaged against massive textile backdrops, barely perceptible. With slow, deliberate gestures, they emerged from the drapes, as if the fabric itself had exhaled. It was a literal embodiment of the theme: the release of tension, the dance of cloth, and the awakening of texture. Each capsule within the collection functioned as a wearable ceramic story, referencing Kamoda’s animal-scale patterns, wave-like motifs, or the structural geometry and complexity of pottery itself. One standout piece was a fishing net nylon coat, crafted from recycled Japanese fishing nets. It embodied a material that is at once utilitarian and ethereal, bringing a sense of poetry to sustainability.
This collection was a seamless interplay of utility and artistry. The choreography amplified the relationship between body and cloth, each gesture reinforcing the belief that garments aren’t static —they respond, live, and play as they exist on the human form. Echoing the collection’s theme of support and enhancement, the show also featured the debut of the Issey Miyake Foot Hyper Taping sneaker, developed in collaboration with Asics. Rooted in performance technology and visual minimalism, the shoe encapsulates the same balance of function and philosophy.
The brand’s Spring/Summer 2026 collection felt like a masterclass in conceptual fashion: one grounded not in cold abstraction, but in joy, movement, and humanity. The team’s homage to Kamoda ran deeper than aesthetic inspiration. It was present in the folds, the flows, and the quiet confidence of every piece. The show reminded us that textiles can carry the same spiritual resonance as classical art; and that design, when given time and breath, can move us profoundly.
