How do you wear the ephemeral? Satoshi Kondo offered an answer with his Spring/Summer 2024 collection Grasping the Formless, staged at Césure in Paris. Beneath floating sheets of pleated washi paper, performers called out to one another; spontaneity and movement were central to this elemental show, inspired by quivering flame and flowing water.

A year following the namesake designer’s death, Grasping the Formless opened with a black tubular knit dress that covered the model’s face and bound her arms. It was a muted, meditative homage to Issey Miyake’s Spring 1998 collection, where the same silhouette was described as “mummified” and “cocooned.” Here, it evoked a shroud: Kondo was in active conversation with the late designer. Three looks later, the same dress appeared in lilac. Twisted, bell-sleeved blouses and layered collared shirts captured a windblown appearance—draped in generous folds, engineered to hold an organic shape. “Light Leak” fabrics looked like exposed film, with streaks of tangerine and pistachio adding interest to simple, almost seamless garments. The collection seeks life’s small moments as often as its big ones.

The designs accomplished structure, even as they defined fleeting phenomena. Oversized jackets over cowl-neck blouses added volume and dimension, while grommets fed belts through sleeveless dresses. Despite garments’ edges, evoking permeability was paramount. Twisted head wraps and bags appeared in the same saturated color schemes as the separates. Suiting was woven with sheer fabric. Kondo took up Miyake’s exploration of the relationship between clothes and the body, softening these boundaries as he reached toward what cannot be captured.

Spring/Summer 2024 is a collection that prioritizes the individual’s experience of clothing and the world. A statement from the label said as much: “Think of a flag fluttering in the sky. What does it look like?”