For Fall/Winter 2025/26, Yuima Nakazato presented “Glacier”, a collection informed by the physical extremes of the Arctic and a growing concern for the body’s vulnerability in both natural and constructed environments. Shown at the Palais de Tokyo in Paris, the collection started with a performance staged by Nakazato and dancer Evgeny Ganeev, a moment of exposure, orchestrated not for shock but for study.
Rigid ceramic shells appear across shoulders, chests and faces, challenging conventional notions of couture embellishment. These are not accessories but armatures. At the same time, the collection features translucent layers, diagonal tailoring, and digitally rendered textiles that retain movement.
Material innovation remains central to Nakazato’s process. Metal chain was crocheted with mohair, creating surfaces that read both soft and sharp. Lightweight wire structures lent volume to sheer garments, while other pieces used digitally printed fabrics that shifted with light, referencing ice formations and aquatic topographies. The color palette stayed close to the source material: whites, greys, pale blues and iridescent green, occasionally interrupted by the sheen of ceramic or the shimmer of synthetic threads.
What the collection articulates, quietly but effectively, is a reconsideration of what couture is meant to do. Nakazato’s work is not concerned with decoration but with purpose. The clothing responds to external forces: climate, technology, and the erosion of privacy. Ceramic masks, for instance, are not symbolic gestures but functional design elements that raise questions about anonymity and protection.
Sustainability continues to be integrated through technique, not messaging. The collection employed dry fiber digital printing, upcycled materials sourced from Kenya, and biofabricated textiles developed with Spiber.
“Glacier” resists the formulaic tropes of haute couture. There is no nostalgia, no need for grand visual statements. Instead, Nakazato offers a methodical study of form, material, and function.
Photos: Courtesy of Yuima Nakazato
@yuimanakazato
www.yuimanakazato.com
HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE COLLECTION
