Issey Miyake gives fashion an emergency blanket

PARIS (AP) — Issey Miyake is one house with its finger firmly on the pulse of the weather forecast.

During last summer's heat wave, the Franco-Japanese fashion house handed out designer ice packs to clammy menswear spectators.

For fall-winter 2013, as temperatures in Paris plunged to subzero, they were at it again.

This time, revelers clutched invitations wrapped in the gold fabric used in thermal emergency blankets.

The insulating theme carried on in the clothes, with the design team's exploration of a lightweight, heat-retaining wardrobe — so say the program notes to enable "a freer lifestyle during the winter months."

It was a neat idea.

Jackets and sporty overcoats with loose silhouettes used recycled polyester sandwiching thermal fleece fabric in russet and gray.

The box was also ticked for the house's cutting edge fabric technology: a translucent film was laminated onto jersey on ensembles, many of which sported signature utilitarian detailing like side pockets and zippers.

However, all of these were upstaged by the show's defining look: the vibrant bold, silver and bronze emergency blanket fabric which appeared in over a dozen of the looks that had revelers wide-eyed.

There were a few hits — like one great A-line, hooded black raincoat with space-age gold lining.

Sadly, with the all-over metallic hues, and pant line that distorted the leg shape — it often drowned out the human silhouette.

Some of the looks came across busy and a little garish — if, undeniably practical.

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