Baked Stretch is a new type of fabric from Japanese fashion house Issey Miyake that has been baked, giving the material an undulating form and textured softness. Baked Stretch fabrics feature in Issey Miyake’s new Spring Summer 2016 Collection.

The tops, skirts and dresses within the Baked Stretch collection are made from a fabric that has special heat reactive properties. Wavy horizontal and vertical lines of heat reactive glue are stamped into the fabrics. Between the lines, multi-coloured dyes are applied. The fabrics are then put into a type of baking machine normally used for transferring prints onto cloth. Much like bread rising in the oven, the glue swells and expands under the high heat of the oven, resulting in protruding bands of fabric and a three dimensional, pleated effect. While the technique is relatively simple it provides the possibility for a variety of effects. This ultilating fabrics bounces softly when worn, revealing a rainbow of colours between the lined of extruded glue.

The idea for Baked Strech came from Issey Miyake designer Yoshiyuki Miyamae, who learned about swelling glue and combined it with the concept of baking bread. Miyamae developed the fabric through a process of trial and error, including changing the quantity of glue and the temperature of the baking machine. You can watch a video of Baked Stretch in action here.

Pleating and experiments with fabrics and 3-dimensionality are signatures of Issey Miyake. The fashion house  has also for instance developed the ‘3D Steam Stretch’ technique, whereby steam is applied to polyester fabric with an unusual texture, causing part of it to shrink and a protruding geometric pattern to emerge. More about Issey Miyake and their fabric innovation here.