“Wear” and “tear” used to be viewed negatively in luxury fashion as antitheses to the beauty and glamour, it was supposed to embody. However, they have become important drivers of fashion innovation over the past half-century. On the one hand, they are a means of resistance, provocation and empowerment; on the other, a means of experimenting with new materials and ornaments, and of imbuing clothing with deep spirituality. This exhibition is an overview that examines, through the work of more than 60 fashion designers, how these elements can be reinterpreted to expand aesthetic values and extend the potential of fashion.

In the section covering clothes born from the earth, a mud-dyed ensemble from the ISSEY MIYAKE 1983 Spring-Summer collection is on view, one of the earliest examples of using mud in fashion. In the section focusing on techniques involving water, fire and other materials, a jumpsuit designed in collaboration with artist Cai Guo-Qiang for the PLEATS PLEASE ISSEY MIYAKE Guest Artist Series is presented. This piece features an abstract image of a dragon, the symbol of life, created by placing gunpowder on the garment and then igniting it to transfer the image onto the fabric. The resulting image is then printed onto the final jumpsuit.

Items by ISSEY MIYAKE on display:
“Mud-dye” Ensemble, ISSEY MIYAKE 1983 Spring-Summer
“PLEATS PLEASE ISSEY MIYAKE Guest Artist Series No. 4 Cai Guo-Qiang” Jumpsuit, 1998

Related Links
Barbican Art Gallery