When Japanese fashion designer Issey Miyake passed away on August 5 in Tokyo, the fashion community paid tribute to the life of an artist who brought thought and beauty to a world of turmoil and destruction.
In the bookcases of his life lies a striking cultural and political poem about the world state.
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Born in Hiroshima, a 7-year-old Miyake watched his city engulfed in atomic disaster. In his final days battling liver cancer, the scorching August heat brought whispers of possible nuclear weapons in the ongoing Russian-Ukrainian conflict. In and out of life in chaotic global conditions, Miyake’s career is defined by challenging notions of war and inhumanity.
Miyake’s early inspiration for design came from his dream of becoming a professional dancer and his sister’s fashion magazines. He completed formal training in graphic design at Tama University in Tokyo while simultaneously applying to the Bunka College of Fashion.
Although ambitious, Miyake recognized his insufficient sewing and modeling skills and tried to improve them in Paris. In the fashion capital of the world, the young designer entered the holy grail of tailoring École de la Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne. His studies were followed by apprenticeships in important artelie and his tutelage under such well-known names as Guy Laroche, Hubert de Givenchy and Geoffry Beene would later inspire the start of his own label.
His independent endeavor, Miyake Design Studio, opened in 1973 in Tokyo. During the 80s, Miyake’s collections gained traction alongside other Japanese wave designers. This artistic movement included people like Rei Kawakubo of avant-garde Comme des Garçons.
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Many of his boldly colored and patterned creations are often compared to origami shapes. During the production period of his “Pleats Please” collection, he became known as the “King of Pleats”. This title laid the foundation for his recognition as the first recipient of the Kyoto Prize in Arts and Philosophy for Lifetime Achievement.
Miyake’s greatest experimentation lies in the technology of “A Piece of Cloth”, a technique where the fabric is created from a single thread. These garments—often constructed with a priority on movement and humanity—were developed using early initiatives in computer-generated printing and industrial knitting. The fluid nature of the fabric’s movement provided a metaphorical connection to freedom within the human condition.
The designer’s other notable achievements include Steve Jobs’ signature black collar and his international best-selling fragrance L’Eau d’Issey. The former strengthened his status as an international connoisseur and the tendency to collaborate with visionaries. The latter popularized oceanic perfumes and epitomized Miyake’s focus on the purpose of nature.
In reviewing his journey through the fashion industry, it is important to note that Miyake’s feelings of being an artistic outcast in Japan and an outsider in the Western sphere gave him the edge of carving his designs.
By combining his generation’s disillusioned feelings in a traditionalist Japan with the freedom-loving Western countries, Miyake was a critical part of the artistic foundation that rebuilds Japan’s modern identity as a pioneer of design and technology. By combining an innovative energy for exploring the deconstruction and construction of the Earth, the designer was able to create a legacy of hope for the union between East and West.
