Issey Miyake Japanese fashion designer. Date of Birth: 22.04.1938 Country: Japan

Biography of Issey Miyake

Issey Miyake is a Japanese fashion designer known for creating futuristic clothing that transcends time. He opened his studio, Miyake Design Studio, in Tokyo in 1971, and later a boutique in New York. Throughout the 1970s, Miyake continued to experiment with unconventional materials and textures in Tokyo, showcasing his collections twice a year in Paris.

In 1976, Miyake developed the concept of "A Piece of Cloth" clothing. By using a simple piece of fabric, one could create various styles of clothing. The fabric was wrapped around the body and then cut or sewn to create sleeves or openings. This approach allowed anyone, regardless of body shape, to experience comfort and freedom in their clothing. The idea of transformation and involving the consumer in the creative process became an integral part of Miyake's philosophy.

In the late 1980s, Miyake began working with pleating techniques, which gave the new clothing models flexibility and elasticity. The incorporation of pleated elements made the production process simpler and maintenance easier. Eventually, this led to the birth of a new technology called "pleating."

From 1993 onwards, Miyake actively practiced the art of folding fabrics with paper pleats, securing them with needles, and then ironing them. Through this process, the fabric "remembers" the elegant folds. In 1994 and 1999, Miyake focused on designing men's and women's collections, with the assistance of Naoki Takizawa. Takizawa allowed Miyake to fully immerse himself in the creative process while overcoming the challenges associated with production and launching new clothing lines.

In 2000, after three decades at the forefront of design, Miyake decided to pass the reins to his right-hand, Naoki Takizawa, who had been faithfully assisting him since 1989. That spring, Takizawa introduced a new direction for the Issey Miyake brand, launching fitted jackets and shift-style dresses with clean lines and a "cut-off" silhouette. Miyake, however, did not retire from his craft. He stated, "I want to return to the roots." He focused on the "A-POC" line (A Piece of Cloth concept), which, once again, involved the buyer in the creation of clothing. The "A-POC" format allowed clothing to be cut along dotted lines. The "A-POC" store opened in London in 2000.

In 2007, Takizawa presented his own brand, with the support of the Issey Miyake Group. Dai Fujiwara was appointed as the new creative director of Issey Miyake. Each year, the Issey Miyake company produces around 200,000 clothing items. Miyake's skills in working with materials are rooted in his knowledge of traditional Japanese fabrics and their processing methods. He has never chased fashion trends, although his collections undeniably influenced other designers and the fashion industry as a whole.

The history of the Issey Miyake brand lacks seasonal changes and direct references to the history of costumes. Miyake liberates his clients from the "dictatorship of fashion" by creating "futuristic clothing." He is guided by his impressions, accumulated over years of traveling to different parts of the world, allowing him to use the color palette of Morocco or Japanese woodblock prints in his own unique way. The clothing of the Issey Miyake brand is not dependent on the whims of fashion because it is not tied to fashion itself, thus maintaining its relevance over time. Miyake has been admired by many artists, including Robert Rauschenberg and Miles Davis.