"I became aware of an unrolling, I found an image in my mind purified of the shell, then I took the scissors," Matisse on L’escargot.
Last night, the Tanks at Tate Modern were transformed into a living interpretation of Henri Matisse’s L’escargot (The Snail) for the Homme Plissé Issey Miyake presentation. Matisse created L’escargot when he was bedbound and experiencing ill health, working with an assistant whom he directed to position the cut-outs he made. Paying homage to this process, choreographer Mandafounis quite literally brought the artwork to life, with the colors and shapes created by the dancers on the floor echoing the cut-outs of Matisse’s original composition.
Scattered throughout the space were a number of seats that a guest could "activate." Naturally, I (Christy) decided to give one a whirl. My dancer and I exchanged introductions before she gave me one instruction: to maintain eye contact with her at all times. The instruction meant I paid particularly close attention to the way she moved, and consequently, to the way the clothes complemented her movement.
There was a distinct sense of fluidity running through the collection. Rather than restricting the body, the garments seemed to move with it, their sculptural forms changing shape as the dancers navigated the space. This interplay between structure and fluidity felt particularly fitting for Homme Plissé Issey Miyake. The presentation demonstrated that the clothes were not simply designed to be observed, but to be experienced on the body. Every leap, jump and contortion revealed the way the pleats responded to the body in motion.
The performance exorcised the joyous peaceful spirit that inhabited the many Issey Miyake iconic campaigns over the years with dancers. This was something that resonates through L’escargot too, the foreground of vibrant simplicity placed over the calm white canvas.
The grandiose jeté leaps and fascinating arabesque contortions of the body exposed the flexibility and durability of the fabric and garments; a live demonstration in the marvels of Issey Miyake design.
