Issey Miyake

Miyake was born {{nihongo|Kazunaru Miyake|三宅 一生|Miyake Kazunaru}}{{Cite news |date=2022-08-09 |script-title=ja:ファッションデザイナーの三宅一生さんが死去、８４歳…「イッセイミヤケ」世界で評価 |url=https://www.yomiuri.co.jp/national/20220809-OYT1T50173/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220813173656/https://www.yomiuri.co.jp/national/20220809-OYT1T50173/ |archive-date=2022-08-13 |access-date=2022-08-13 |website=Yomiuri Shimbun |language=Japanese}} on 22 April 1938 in Hiroshima. He was still living in the city seven years later when the U.S. military dropped an atomic bomb there in August 1945.{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/14/opinion/14miyake.html |title=Opinion | A Flash of Memory |date=13 July 2009 |first=Issey |last=Miyake |newspaper=The New York Times |access-date=11 April 2022}} He first disclosed this in 2009, when Barack Obama advocated for global nuclear disarmament.{{Cite web |url=https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20220809/p2g/00m/0et/044000c |title=Japanese fashion designer Issey Miyake dies at 84 |access-date=9 August 2022 |archive-date=9 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220809183211/https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20220809/p2g/00m/0et/044000c |url-status=dead }}

As a child, Miyake wanted to become a dancer. His interest in fashion started by studying his sister's fashion magazines. He studied graphic design at the Tama Art University in Tokyo, graduating in 1964. He entered designs into fashion competition at the Bunka Fashion College in Tokyo. However, he did not win a competition due to his lack of pattern-making or sewing skills. After graduation, he enrolled in the Chambre syndicale de la couture parisienne school in Paris and was apprenticed to Guy Laroche as assistant designer. He also worked with Hubert de Givenchy, drawing 50 to 100 sketches daily.

In 1969, Miyake moved to New York City, where he met artists like Christo and Robert Rauschenberg. He was enrolled in English classes at Columbia University and worked on Seventh Avenue for designer Geoffrey Beene. Returning to Tokyo in 1970, he founded the Miyake Design Studio, a high-end producer of women's fashion.{{cn|date=August 2022}}

From a young age, Miyake respected artist Isamu Noguchi, whose novelty and sense of fun in his designs inspired Miyake. He was also inspired by fashion designer Madeleine Vionnet's use of geometric calculations and "a single piece of beautiful cloth".{{Cite web|title=Issey Miyake – MOVES – Documentary|url=https://vimeo.com/252869948|access-date=16 August 2020|website=Vimeo|language=en}} In Paris, he visited several museums and he mentioned that he was influenced by sculptors such as Constantin Brâncuși and Alberto Giacometti.

In the late 1980s, Miyake began to experiment with new methods of pleating that would allow both flexibility of movement for the wearer as well as ease of care and production. The garments are cut and sewn first, then sandwiched between layers of paper and fed into a heat press, where they are pleated. The fabric's 'memory' holds the pleats and when the garments are liberated from their paper cocoon, they are ready-to wear.

Miyake had a long friendship with Austrian-born pottery artist Dame Lucie Rie. She presented him with her archival ceramic buttons, which he integrated into his designs.{{Cite web |last1=Knott |first1=Becky |title=Lucie Rie: A Secret Life of Buttons • V&A Blog |url=https://www.vam.ac.uk/blog/news/lucie-rie-a-secret-life-of-buttons |website=V&A Blog |date=24 April 2017}}

He also developed a friendship with Apple's Steve Jobs, who came to him after seeing the uniforms Miyake designed for employees of Sony's factories. At Jobs's request, Miyake designed similar vests for Apple employees, but Jobs encountered strong opposition to the idea of a uniform.{{cite news |title=The story of Steve Jobs and Issey Miyake's friendship (and a nixed Apple uniform) |date=2022-08-10 |first=Wynne |last=Davis |url=https://www.npr.org/2022/08/10/1116769827/the-story-of-steve-jobs-and-issey-miyakes-friendship-and-a-nixed-apple-uniform |newspaper=NPR |access-date=2022-08-13}} Nonetheless, Miyake went on to produce the black turtlenecks which would become a part of Jobs' signature attire. Jobs said, "So I asked Issey to make me some of his black turtlenecks that I liked, and he made me like a hundred of them."

Fashion designer Geoffrey Beene stated that he admired Issey Miyake for Miyake's technique, this in an interview with poet/artist Steven Vita in Veery journal, 1991.{{Cite web|url=http://veeryjournal.com/geoffrey-beene-interview.html|title=Geoffrey Beene Interview|website=V E E R Y J O U R N A L|language=en|access-date=21 August 2019}}

In March 1992, Miyake was quoted in the International Herald Tribune as saying "Design is not for philosophy—it's for life."http://www.poemhunter.com/issey-miyake/ International Herald Tribune, Paris, 23 March 1992

Between 1996 and 1999, Miyake collaborated with artists for his Guest Artist series. The first collaboration was with the photographer and collage maker Yasumasa Morimura; the other artists were Nobuyoshi Araki, Tim Hawkinson, and Cai Guo-Qiang.{{Cite web |title=Issey Miyake Guest Artist series No. 1 Yasumasa Morimura |url=https://fidmmuseum.org/2012/06/issey-miyake-guest-artist-series-no-1-yasumasa-morimura.html |website=FIDM Museum |access-date=18 April 2022 |date=29 June 2012}}{{Cite web |title=Dress by Issey Miyake and Cai Guo-Qiang, 1999 |url=https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/692445 |website=Metropolitan Museum – Collections Search |date=1999 |publisher=Metropolitan Museum of Art |access-date=15 April 2022}} Miyake stated that his intention was not to answer the question "Is fashion art?" but instead to create an "interactive relationship" between the art and the people who admired it. By wearing the artworks upon their bodies, the wearers interacted with fashion and art simultaneously.

Miyake was also one of the co-Directors of 21 21 DESIGN SIGHT, Japan's first design museum.{{Cite web|title=Art Space Tokyo|url=http://artspacetokyo.com/artmaps/21_21_design_sight/|work=21_21 Design Sight: Tokyo Art Maps|access-date=9 January 2012}}

Miyake died of liver cancer on 5 August 2022, at the age of 84.{{Cite web|title=三宅一生さん死去 世界的な衣服デザイナー|date=9 August 2022 |url=https://www.sankei.com/article/20220809-K5T2NPXRKJPJZJHUNO6NR7AXJA/|language=ja |access-date=9 August 2022}}

File:Issey Miyake, Summer 1984 - Indigo Batik Dress 01.jpg|1984 'Indigo Batik' cotton kaftan dress, RISD Museum

File:Issey Miyake Rhythm Pleats series 1990.jpg|1990 'Rhythm Pleats' collection

File:Yasumasa Morimura for Issey Miyake, printed polyester, 1997 02.jpg|1996-7 'Guest Artist' design, Yasumasa Morimura for Miyake, RISD Museum

File:Gunpowder Dress by Cai Guo-Qiang for Issey Miyake, printed polyester, 1998 02.jpg|1998 'Guest Artist' design, Cai Guo-Qiang for Miyake, RISD Museum

File:Steve Jobs talks about the iPhone (2197013436) (cropped).jpg|Steve Jobs wearing his signature black mock turtle neck by Issey Miyake[http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2011/10/steve-jobs-explains-black-turtleneck-in-biography.html Steve Jobs' black turtleneck reportedly explained in biography] (Nathan Olivarez-Giles, Los Angeles Times, October 11, 2011)

Issey Miyake is the main collection line, subdivided into men (since 1978/85) and women (since 1971) collections.{{Cite web |url=http://www.dnrnews.com/site/article.php?id=122 |title=DNR |access-date=31 May 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080213063600/http://www.dnrnews.com/site/article.php?id=122 |archive-date=13 February 2008 }} DNR -A-POC making{{Cite web |url=http://www.marieclaire.co.uk/fashion/a-z/158594/issey-miyake.html |title=Issey Miyake | Marie Claire |access-date=31 May 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080513155748/http://www.marieclaire.co.uk/fashion/a-z/158594/issey-miyake.html |archive-date=13 May 2008 }} Marie Claire – Issey Miyake

The first Issey Miyake collection, for fall 1971, featured a dress with a Japanese-style tattoo print of Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix created by Makiko Minagawa, an artist who joined the studio staff.Liza Foreman (2 December 2014), [https://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/02/fashion/issey-miyakes-50-years-of-making-connections.html Issey Miyake's 50 Years of Making Connections] New York Times.

Shortly after, Miyake did the costume for Ballett Frankfurt with an ultra feather-polyester jersey permanently pleated in a piece named "the Loss of Small Detail" William Forsythe and also work on ballet "Garden in the setting". He realized that the new method of making clothes fit well in dancers. After studying how dancers move, he sent 200 to 300 garments for dancers to wear a different one in each performance of The Last Detail. This led to the development of the Pleats, Please range and inspired him to use dancers to display his work.{{Cite book |last=English |first=Bonnie |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/857064156 |title=Japanese fashion designers : the work and influence of Issey Miyake, Yohji Yamamoto and Rei Kawakubo |date=2011 |isbn=978-0-85785-054-6 |location=Oxford |oclc=857064156}}

Released in 1993, Miyake's Pleats Please line of clothing, made from a near weightless polyester, featured waterfalls of razor-sharp, accordionlike pleats offering the ease of loungewear. They became his most recognizable look,Elaine Louie and Elizabeth Paton (9 August 2022), [https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/09/fashion/issey-miyake-dead.html Issey Miyake, Who Opened a Door for Japanese Fashion, Dies at 84] New York Times with San Francisco Chronicle fashion editor Sylvia Rubin crediting Miyake together with Babette Pinsky with "reinventing" the Mariano Fortuny pleat.{{Cite news |last1=Rubin |first1=Sylvia |date=27 April 2008 |title=She has that Babette look – 40 years later |work=San Francisco Chronicle |publisher= |url=https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/She-has-that-Babette-look-40-years-later-3286542.php}}

In 1994 and 1999, Miyake turned over the design of the men's and women's collections respectively, to his associate, Naoki Takizawa, so that he could return to research full-time.{{cn|date=August 2022}} In 2007, Naoki Takizawa opened his own brand supported by the Issey Miyake Group and was replaced as Creative Director by Dai Fujiwara, who ran the House of Issey Miyake until 2012.{{cn|date=August 2022}} The design duties were split as of the Spring/Summer 2012 collections, with Yoshiyuki Miyamae appointed head designer of the women's collection and Yusuke Takahashi designing the men's line.{{cn|date=August 2022}}

Miyake "oversaw the overall direction of all lines created by his company", even though the individual collections have been designed by his staff since his 'retirement' from the fashion world in 1997.{{Cite web |url=http://www.contemporary-magazine.com/interview59.htm |title=New Page 1 |access-date=31 May 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071024215019/http://www.contemporary-magazine.com/interview59.htm |archive-date=24 October 2007 }} Contemporary Magazine – The A-POC epoch{{Cite web |url=http://www.fashionwindows.com/runway_shows/issey_miyake/default.asp |title=Issey Miyake, Fashion Designer |access-date=31 May 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080612094241/http://www.fashionwindows.com/runway_shows/issey_miyake/default.asp |archive-date=12 June 2008 }} Fashion Windows – Issey Miyake

• Issey Miyake Fête – colorful women's line that "draws on the technological innovations of Pleats Please"http://metropolis.co.jp/tokyo/551/goods.asp {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080610133030/http://metropolis.co.jp/tokyo/551/goods.asp |date=10 June 2008 }} Metropolis – Festival of Style (Fête means 'celebration' in French) (since 2004)
• Pleats Please Issey Miyake – polyester jersey garments for women that are first "cut and sewn and then pleated [...] (normally, fabric is first pleated and then cut and sewn [...])" "to permanently retain washboard rows of horizontal, vertical or diagonal knife-edge pleats". Miyake patented the technique in 1993{{Cite web|title=Techno frock|url=http://www.theage.com.au/news/fashion/techno-frock/2006/06/15/1149964667925.html?page=2|website=The Age|access-date=3 May 2016|date=17 June 2006}}
• HaaT – women's line, designed by Miyake's former textile designer, Makiko Minagawa. HaaT means 'village market' in Sanskrit, and the word sounds similar to 'heart' in English{{Cite web|last1=Rath|first1=Paula|title=Worldly textiles|url=http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2006/Jul/12/il/FP607120311.html|website=Honolulu Advertiser|access-date=3 May 2016|date=12 July 2006}}
• A-POC – 1998– custom-collection for men and women. Tubes of fabric are machine-processed and can be cut into various shapes by the consumer. A-POC is an acronym of 'a piece of cloth', and a near homophone of 'epoch'.{{Cite web|last1=Siaotong|first1=Bernardo|title=Epoch of A-POC|url=http://img17.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=77963_epoch1_122_772lo.jpg|website=Image Venue|access-date=3 May 2016}}
• 132 5. Issey Miyake – an evolution of the A-POC concept. Works are presented as two-dimensional geometric shapes made from recycled polyethylene terephthalate mixed with natural fibers and dyes, which then unfold into structured garments.{{Cite web|url=http://www.isseymiyake.com/en/brands/132_5.html|title=ISSEY MIYAKE INC.|author=ISSEY MIYAKE INC.|access-date=9 May 2016|archive-date=11 May 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160511131905/http://www.isseymiyake.com/en/brands/132_5.html|url-status=dead}} (since 2014)
• APOC Able – a further evolution of the A-POC concept centered around advanced and innovative weaving technologies (since 2020)
• me Issey Miyake – line of "exclusive one-sized shirts that stretch to fit the wearer" that are sold in a plastic tube, named Cauliflower for the non-Asian market.{{Cite web |url=http://www.designboom.com/eng/funclub/apoc_me.html |title='me' |work=designboom |access-date=31 May 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080522113638/http://www.designboom.com/eng/funclub/apoc_me.html |archive-date=22 May 2008 }} (since 2001)
• Homme Plisse – men's clothing in the signature Issey Miyake pleating [https://www.isseymiyake.com/en/brands/hommeplisse] (since 2013)
• IM Men – men's line for casual wear [https://www.isseymiyake.com/en/brands/immen] (since 2020); the brand's logo, developed by graphic designer Taku Satoh, consists of an IM motif that was originally designed by Ikko Tanaka in 1979 and was previously used for non-clothing productsKelly Wetherille (12 March 2021), [https://wwd.com/feature/miyake-design-studio-launches-mens-wear-brand-1234777629/ Miyake Design Studio Launches Men’s Wear Brand] Women's Wear Daily
• Bao Bao Issey Miyake – line of bags
• Issey Miyake Watches – men's and women's watches
• Issey Miyake Perfumes – line of fragrances for men and women. See below
• Evian by Issey Miyake – Limited edition bottle designed by Issey Miyake for Evian water.
• Issey Miyake maintained a freestanding store, named ELTTOB TEP Issey Miyake (reverse of 'Pet Bottle') in Osaka, where the full array of lines is available.http://www.hintmag.com/shoptart/shoptart_apr07.php {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080504015357/http://www.hintmag.com/shoptart/shoptart_apr07.php |date=4 May 2008 }} Hint Mag – Different Strokes
• Issey Skyline – produced in limited quantities to promote the release of the Nissan Skyline in 1982.

Like many fashion designers, Issey Miyake also had a line of perfumes. His first fragrance, L'eau d'Issey, was created by perfumer Jacques Cavallier.{{cite news |last1=Greenwood |first1=Helen |title=Intense is a classic update of a classic scent |url=https://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/intense-is-a-classic-update-of-a-classic-scent-20090903-f9zz.html |work=The Sydney Morning Herald |date=3 September 2009 |language=en}}

The scent was followed by L'eau d'Issey Pour Homme (for men) in 1994. L'eau Bleue d'Issey Pour Homme was introduced in 2004; and its evolution, L'eau Bleue d'Issey Eau Fraiche was introduced in 2006. Every year from 2007 on, Issey Miyake brought out a "limited time only" fragrance for ladies, for which he brought in a "guest" perfumer. In 2007, he launched 'Drop on a Petal', and in 2008 he launched 'Reflections in a Drop'. A new Issey Miyake men's fragrance, L'eau d'Issey Pour Homme Intense, was introduced at Nordstrom in the United States in June 2007, with a larger worldwide rollout following in September 2007. Issey Miyake fragrances are produced under a long-term agreement by the Beauté Prestige International division of Shiseido.{{Cite web |last=Ltd |first=Shiseido Co |title=BRANDS {{!}} Shiseido Company |url=https://corp.shiseido.com/en/brands/ |access-date=2023-10-26 |website=corp.shiseido.com |language=en}}

In 1992, Issey Miyake designed the Lithuanian national team's official uniform for the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona.{{Cite web |title=Arena Magazine: Total Sport featuring Issey Miyake, 1992 {{!}} Archive Fashion Scan |url=https://www.archivepdf.net/arena-magazine-total-sport-featuring-issey-miyake-1992 |access-date=2023-04-07 |website=ARCHIVE.pdf |language=en}}

Working with Ron Arad, Miyake created A-POC Trampoline, which was a knit jacket, pants and stole.Elaine Louie and Elizabeth Paton (9 August 2022), [https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/09/fashion/issey-miyake-dead.html Issey Miyake, Who Opened a Door for Japanese Fashion, Dies at 84] New York Times

The Miyake Issey Foundation, founded in Tokyo in 2004, operates the 21_21 Design Sight center, organizes exhibitions and events, and publishes literature.

21 21 Design Sight (a play on 20/20 vision) is a museum-style research center for design, constructed by Tadao Ando, that was opened in Roppongi, Tokyo in March 2007. The center was headed by Issey Miyake (until his death in 2022) and four other Japanese designers, and operated by The Miyake Issey Foundation.{{Cite web |url=http://www.2121designsight.jp/designsight/directors-e.html |title=21_21 Design Sight |access-date=31 May 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080409165540/http://www.2121designsight.jp/designsight/directors-e.html |archive-date=9 April 2008 }} 21_21 – The directors{{Cite web |url=http://www.mitsuifudosan.co.jp/english/home/news_20050714.html |title=News 2005 0714 |access-date=31 May 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090807095107/http://www.mitsuifudosan.co.jp/english/home/news_20050714.html |archive-date=7 August 2009 }} Mitsui Fudosan – "21/21 Design Sight" to be established

Many of Miyake's designs are in museums, including the Museum of Modern Art’s permanent collection.Morwenna Ferrier (9 August 2022), [https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2022/aug/09/issey-miyake-famed-japanese-fashion-designer-dies-aged-84 Issey Miyake, famed Japanese fashion designer, dies aged 84] The Guardian. From March 2016, the largest retrospective of his work was organized at The National Art Center, Tokyo, celebrating 45 years of career.{{Cite web|url=http://www.domusweb.it/en/design/2016/05/03/the_work_of_miyake_issey.html/|title=The work of Miyake Issey|work=domusweb.it|access-date=9 May 2016}}

• 2005 – Praemium Imperiale (for Sculpture){{cite news |title=Nomes da Moda: Issey Miyake |url=https://mondomoda.com.br/2011/12/08/nomes-da-moda-issey-miyake/ |work=Mondo Moda |date=8 December 2011 |language=pt-BR}}
• 2006 – Kyoto Prize{{Cite news|last1=Rowe|first1=Peter|title=Intelligent Design-Issey Miyaki|url=http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/uniontrib/20070311/news_mz1c11issey.html|access-date=3 May 2016|work=The San Diego Union-Tribune|date=11 March 2007|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304224010/http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/uniontrib/20070311/news_mz1c11issey.html|archive-date=4 March 2016}}
• 2010 – Order of Culture (Japan){{Cite web|title=Issey Miyake Receives Top Award|url=http://www.vogue.co.uk/news/2010/10/26/issey-miyake-receives-top-award|website=Vogue|date=26 October 2010 |access-date=3 May 2016}}
• 2014 – XXIII Premio Compasso d'Oro ADI (for family of lamps IN-EI Issey Miyake, Artemide){{cite news |title=Compasso d'Oro: i vincitori (e i momenti più belli) |url=https://design.repubblica.it/2014/05/29/compasso-doro-i-vincitori-e-i-momenti-piu-belli/#1 |work=Casa & Design |publisher=repubblica.it |date=29 May 2014 |language=it-IT}}{{Cite web |title=ADI - Associazione per il Disegno Industriale |url=https://www.adi-design.org/xxiii-compasso-d-oro-adi-i-vincitori.html |access-date=2024-07-20 |website=www.adi-design.org}}
• 2016 – Legion of Honour (France)Morwenna Ferrier (9 August 2022), [https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2022/aug/09/issey-miyake-famed-japanese-fashion-designer-dies-aged-84 Issey Miyake, famed Japanese fashion designer, dies aged 84] The Guardian.

{{Reflist}}

{{Commons category}}

• {{Official website|http://www.isseymiyake.com/}}

;Exhibitions

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20070416170041/http://www.fondation.cartier.fr/ Issey Miyake at the Fondation Cartier pour l'art contemporain (Paris)]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20070928014953/http://www.cincinnatiartmuseum.org/absolutenm/templates/ArtTempExhibitions.aspx?articleid=302&zoneid=78 Exhibition including Miyake's work at the Cincinnati Art Museum]
• [http://www.adcglobal.org/archive/hof/2006/?id=2 Art Directors Club biography, portrait and images of work]
• [https://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/14/opinion/14miyake.html?ref=opinion 'A Flash of Memory' New York Times Op-Ed]

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Miyake, Issey}}

Category:1938 births

Category:2022 deaths

Category:Bags (fashion)

Category:Clothing brands of Japan

Category:Hibakusha

Category:High fashion brands

Category:Japanese fashion designers

Category:Kyoto laureates in Arts and Philosophy

Category:Recipients of the Legion of Honour

Category:People from Hiroshima

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Category:Recipients of the Praemium Imperiale

Category:Commandeurs of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres

Category:Compasso d'Oro Award recipients

Category:Deaths from liver cancer in Japan