SPRING SUMMER 2026
SHOW
DANCING TEXTURE
The moment when tension breaks; body and mind set free.
With light and shadow quietly in tow,
rolling, tilting, and swinging,
energy woven tight, gathering as it moves.
Breath finds its rhythm,
gravity becomes a playmate,
and each step carves traces of wonder.
On Thursday, 26 June, IM MEN unveiled its Spring Summer 2026 collection, “DANCING TEXTURE,” at the Fondation Cartier* pour l’art contemporain—a museum located in Paris’s 14th arrondissement and designed by architect, Jean Nouvel.
This collection began with an encounter between the IM MEN design team and the work of Shoji Kamoda, a ceramic artist who strived to achieve a unique formative beauty. The design team pursued the possibilities of wearing his creations as garments. The sensations evoked through repeated quiet conversations with Kamoda’s practice are amplified and expressed in the form of clothing.
Guided by the philosophy of a piece of cloth, the collection finds harmony with the richly layered, multifaceted textures of Kamoda’s works. From this fusion emerged textiles with depth and dimension, woven from diverse threads, intricate structures, created by the subtle hand of innovation. Within the space where bold swaths of fabric unfolded like abstract landscapes, performers moved gently yet deliberately—becoming one with the cloth, as if it too, had drawn breath and awakened to life.
Creating through the spirit of Shoji Kamoda was to believe in the power of what the human hand can create, and to experience pure surprise and joy through this process. Freeing the senses can give rise to new possibilities of design and making.
*The museum is currently closed due to an upcoming relocation in Paris.
Shoji Kamoda (1933–1983)
Shoji Kamoda was a pioneering ceramic artist who left a profound mark on contemporary Japanese ceramics. Born in Osaka and trained in Kyoto, he developed his practice in regions such as Mashiko and Tōno. Through a range of innovative techniques, he pushed the boundaries of traditional forms and decorative expression, expanding the very possibilities of ceramic art. Despite a career that spanned only about twenty years, his bold and uninhibited body of work continues to radiate a striking presence, deeply influencing generations of makers to this day.
