Shoji Kamoda’s pottery inspired IM Men’s refined spring line. “The main collection pieces are based on some of his main works,” explained Sen Kawahara, an IM Men designer.
These primarily hailed from the ’60s and ’70s. “He’s only borrowing the form of pottery to express his creativity and ideas for his artwork,” continued Kawahara. “That’s his philosophy of making things.”
The IM team channeled such ethos into its own garment production. Kamoda’s pottery textures and colors segued into their textiles.
One plate with a wavy relief pattern morphed into a gray fabric seeming like it has swirly edges, pointed out Yuki Itakura, another IM Men designer. That created a jacket, top and trousers.
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The design team, which also includes Nobutaka Kobayashi, regarded the newfangled materials’ shapes then morphed them into clothing patterns and designs.
One square piece of cloth, with gray and azure geometric patterns, transformed with snaps into a jumpsuit or an overcoat. The “urokomon” series took a cue from animal scale-like patterns on Kamoda’s ceramics transposed onto fabric using a “bonding opal process.”
The design team also conceived a series of nylon woven partially from used, recycled Japanese fishing nets, for the first time. That made a lime-green jacket that was worn over an orange vest and with electric blue, horizontally ribbed trousers. An all-gray look had a long-sleeve tailored shirt and shiny flared ankle-length shorts.
There was an airiness and grace to this wardrobe.