Needle work: Designer finds bottle for new fabric

The check coats, jackets and capes in the autumn/winter 2012/2013 menswear collection are made using two layers of wool gauze, which is fed by hand through a punching machine. Hundreds of needles prick the fabric, creating an irregular deconstructed check pattern. The technique combines machine- and mass-manufacturing methods with the notion of serendipity.

The collection also includes material made with eco-PET fabric, which is re-formed from plastic bottles.

For another example of Issey Miyake’s research into new materials, read our Innovate feature on 132 5 Issey Miyake.