Cover le couturier Issey Miyake et ses mannequins lors de son défilé, Prêt-à -Porter, collection Printemps-été 1992 à Paris en octobre 1991, France. (Photo by ARNAL/GARCIA/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images)
le couturier Issey Miyake et ses mannequins lors de son défilé, Prêt-à -Porter, collection Printemps-été 1992 à Paris en octobre 1991, France. (Photo by ARNAL/GARCIA/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images)
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The fashion designer's legacy has touched the lives of millions. Here's what you should know about Issey Miyake:
Japanese designer Issey Miyake has left behind a creative legacy that's difficult to match. Here are some of the most interesting innovations that he's left behind for us to enjoy—and a few facts about one of the world's most successful creatives:
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1. He pioneered tech driven design
Above PARIS, FRANCE - MARCH 01: (EDITORIAL USE ONLY) Models walk the runway during the Issey Miyake show as part of the Paris Fashion Week Womenswear Fall/Winter 2020/2021 at Lycee Carnot on March 01, 2020 in Paris, France. (Photo by Richard Bord/Getty Images)
PARIS, FRANCE - MARCH 01: (EDITORIAL USE ONLY) Models walk the runway during the Issey Miyake show as part of the Paris Fashion Week Womenswear Fall/Winter 2020/2021 at Lycee Carnot on March 01, 2020 in Paris, France. (Photo by Richard Bord/Getty Images)
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One of Issey Miyake's best-loved brands is A-POC ABLE. Announced in 1998, it was credited to have revolutionised the process of clothesmaking. It was headed by both Miyake, Yoshiyuki Miyamae, and a team of engineers looking to bring innovation into fashion. They were the first to introduce a new material called Triporous, made from rice husks, and launch an entire collection from the material.
The New York Metropolitan Museum of Art (MoMA) has also featured an A-POC piece called Queen Textile, an "outfitting system that produces self-tailored clothing through mass production".
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2. He popularised pleating
Above PARIS, FRANCE - FEBRUARY 28: A model walks the runway during the Issey Miyake show as part of Paris Fashion Week Womenswear Fall/Winter 2014-2015 on February 28, 2014 in Paris, France. (Photo by Kristy Sparow/WireImage)
PARIS, FRANCE - FEBRUARY 28: A model walks the runway during the Issey Miyake show as part of Paris Fashion Week Womenswear Fall/Winter 2014-2015 on February 28, 2014 in Paris, France. (Photo by Kristy Sparow/WireImage)
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You may have heard of Miyake as the brains behind an incredible pleating technique now famous worldwide. But the reason it became so successful wasn't merely because of it's eye-catching aesthetic; people also loved the science behind it. Developed in the 80s, this particular process used a unique heat-treating system that allowed the fabric to create permanent micro-pleating. Though elaborate, Miyake stood by this process that allowed sewn garments to retain their shape despite being machine washed and air dried. Clothes of this style and design became so popular that Miyake eventually launched Pleats Please, which is still in production and popular today.
3. He designed Steve Jobs' hallmark look
Above SAN FRANCISCO - OCTOBER 16: Apple CEO Steve Jobs delivers a kenote address October 16, 2003 in San Francisco. Jobs announced the popular iTunes music program would now be able to be used on both Apple and PC computers and the successful 99 cent music store was adding thousands of new songs. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
SAN FRANCISCO - OCTOBER 16: Apple CEO Steve Jobs delivers a kenote address October 16, 2003 in San Francisco. Jobs announced the popular iTunes music program would now be able to be used on both Apple and PC computers and the successful 99 cent music store was adding thousands of new songs. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
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Imagine Steve Jobs in your mind's eye. Most likely, you will see the Apple tech founder—with his circular spectacles perched on the bridge of his nose—in a black turtleneck and denim jeans. This ubiquitous outfit has become a hallmark for Jobs and has seen him through multiple Apple events and launches. What some people don't realise is that this iconic black turtleneck comes from an equally iconic fashion designer: none other than Issey Miyake. And Miyake not only designed Jobs' turtlenecks, but he also gave him 100 of them!
4. He opened the door for Japanese fashion
Above PARIS, FRANCE - MAY 08: Contemporary artists Issey Miyake and his assistant Sen Kawahara pose under Miyake work at the 'Fondation Cartier pour l'art contemporain' celebrates its 30th anniversary on May 8, 2014 in Paris, France. (Photo by Bertrand Rindoff Petroff/Getty Images)
PARIS, FRANCE - MAY 08: Contemporary artists Issey Miyake and his assistant Sen Kawahara pose under Miyake work at the 'Fondation Cartier pour l'art contemporain' celebrates its 30th anniversary on May 8, 2014 in Paris, France. (Photo by Bertrand Rindoff Petroff/Getty Images)
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Issey Miyake was among the first Japanese designers to show in Paris and therefore paved the way for contemporaries such as Rei Kawakubo and Yohji Yamamoto.
5. Paris was a big inspiration for him
And in fact, the city of love proved to be a big inspiration for the Japanese designer. He trained there under Guy La Roche and Givenchy during the mid-60s. And in fact, his renowned fragrance, L'eu d'Issey, was known for its slender, minimalist bottle, which was designed by Miyake and inspired by the moon as it rose over the Eiffel Tower in Paris one night.
6. He also designed for homes
Miyake wasn't just designing fashion during his time on earth, he also created lighting systems for homes. He used nonwoven fabric made from recycled polyester and fibres from PET bottles to create lighting concepts that were incredible from both a design and optical perspective. Technology developed for his clothing lines was also applied to the welding and folding of the material on his lighting materials.
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