Yuima Nakazato Fall 2026 Couture: Opposing Elements

by · WWD
Yuima Nakazato Fall 2026 Couture Collection at Paris Couture WeekCourtesy of Yuima Nakazato

Yuima Nakazato’s work in costume design plays an ever-growing role in his approach to couture. This season, his staging at the Maison des Métallos called on references from Japanese theater, where on-stage costume changes represent shifts in character or the passage of time.

His modular layered designs, inspired by the rectangular construction of the kimono and the different shapes it takes on depending on how it is worn, explored opposing forces as they shifted, with just five models on stage, helped by dressers and the designer.

His central theme for the “Inferno” collection was the opposition between water and fire, with motifs from the designer’s photography from a recent trip to Tenerife printed on recycled fabric panels for the backdrop and on the clothes themselves, which were teased into shapes that echoed waves or that were embroidered with gold chains evoking flames.

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The opening looks highlighted elongated watery silhouettes, while from beneath, Nakazato’s “fragile armor” of ceramic chainmail peeped out.

He continued his experimentation with clay, working with digital tools for the first time to ensure the hundreds of little square tiles he created molded the body perfectly when assembled. This was demonstrated with the next series of looks, where the bustier designs morphed into new shapes and color dominants, from blue to red via silver and gold. Some were complemented by dramatic masks and headpieces evoking a demon’s horns, while others were adorned with contrasting silk panels that billowed in the air.

The final fiery looks involved the addition of new overlayers. A coat in furls of translucent printed fabric resembled dancing flames, while another was embroidered all over with tiny tinkling bells, also used to craft some of the imposing accessories.

As the ultimate recognition of his stance that couture and contemporary art are one and the same, earlier this year three of Nakazato’s archival looks were added to the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute for permanent preservation. With this collection, he drove his point home.

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