PARIS, Jan 28, 2005/ FW/ --- In a bold move that surprised the fashion world, Naoki Takizawa left Milan for Paris to hold Issey Miyake’s runway show. And with his poetic, romantic and artful runway collection shown tonight, Milan’s lost is truly Paris’s gain.

In a very small and select crowd at the Issey Miyake showroom at Place Vosges, Naoki Takizawa brought art on the runway, sending his models wearing flowers made of fabric such as the hooded beige capelet that was adorned with oversized roses at the front and back.

But if you think that the look is effeminate, it is exactly the opposite! It was very masculine and presented a man who is in touch with the sensitive world of art. And please don’t use the now ubiquitous term ‘metrosexual’ because although metrosexuals would love the collection, the designer only have art in mind and created the collection for every and all men.

Calling the collection edgy will be an understatement, too. It is more than that. It is a statement by an artist and a designer, wherein Naoki Takizawa fits the bill to a T.

The charcoal gray suit with silver edging worn with a white shirt has a deconstructed and raw look due to the silver threads used at the seams. But the garment is ‘finished’ and without the fringes usually associated with deconstruction.

Traditional masculine cuts on trench coats and bush jackets were used, with the added flower, giving it a softer look without losing the overall machismo associated with these garments.

In this groundbreaking collection, Naoki Takizawa brought menswear to a higher level and gave it the artfulness it deserves.

Issey Miyake by Naoki Takizawa

Issey Miyake by Naoki Takizawa

Issey Miyake by Naoki Takizawa

Issey Miyake by Naoki Takizawa