Issey Miyaki

Issey Miyake, born in Hiroshima April 22, 1938, is a Japanese fashion designer, a specialist in masterfully combining design and technology in the conceptual exploration of the natural, both in his collections and in his designs.

His yearning was to succeed as a fashion designer, and in 1959 he took a course in graphic arts at the famous Tama Art University in Tokyo. Upon graduation, he moved to Paris to expand his studies at the École de la Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne . Two years later he obtained his first work with Guy Laroche in 1966, and then in 1968 he entered Givenchy. The following year he moved to New York where he worked in collaboration with Geoffrey Beene. In 1970 he opened his own design studio in Tokyo, a kind of laboratory where he experimented with various fabrics, clothing methods and Japanese spinning techniques to create lighter and more artificial fabrics. In addition, they also worked on the creation of polyester jersey garments that had a new fall and enveloped the body as a second skin.

First Collection

In 1971 he founded Miyake International Incorporated, and so was born his first collection, born in New York. His second collection was presented in Paris in 1973, and this was the one that definitely positioned him in the world of fashion. Until that time, he had remained faithful to his radical design philosophy, but in the 1980s changed his orientation to make his clothes a little more practical and to throw his characteristic pleated costumes on the street.

Issey Miyake is one of Japan's most respected and well-known designers, his designs are not known as clothing, or prêt-à-porter sets, but as art architecture. His clothes do not dress the body separating it, protecting it and differentiating it from the environment that surrounds it, but it delivers it in complete harmony. In his creative process, the designer gives himself over to the materials and lets them be the ones who define his style. The first step in receiving the materials is to discover their natural inclinations. The silhouette that draws its fall and the sensations that it causes in the skin will be the ones that define its destiny. Miyake has made use of the most advanced textile technology, which has allowed him to almost completely banish the use of buttons, seams and other elements unrelated to the essence of the garment.

One of the greatest ambitions of the designer has been to create an intrinsically oriental garment that is the equivalent of the American Texan for its practicality, comfort and reach. And in 1998, Pleats Please appears. It is a collection created in pleated polyester fabrics, which have not shifted to the Texan, but has become the line that more scope and recognition has given.

Issey Miyake by Naoiki Takizawa

Historically the brand was distinguished by its innovation, the collections of Issey Miyake share a continuous focus on the importance of imagination and the search for new methods with which to create gifts. The men's and women's collections focus on an innovative perspective in which the whole process is just as important as the outcome. In 1999 Naoki Takizawa assumed the role of principal designer of the two lines and has continued with the task of innovating in fabrics and forms. He joined the Miyake Designe Studio after graduating and instantly initialized the creation of garments through the constant search for materials and fabrics. In 1993 he was in charge of the men's line Miyake, and in 1999 was named main designer of the collections of Issey Miyake.

Naoki Takizawa

A-POC is a brand new concept in apparel and takes Issey Miyake to one of its original concepts: to create clothing from a single piece. From this principle the line takes its name, since A-POC means "a piece of clothing". Through a unique technology, a computer-controlled loom creates a three-dimensional garment in a single process. This line has been designed, since 2000, by the creator of the brand, who delegated the design of the men's and women's collections to Naoki Takizawa and returned to his pursuit of innovation and experimentation in clothing. A-POC is available only at TribecaISSEYMIYAKE.

HaaT is a line that combines everyday clothes with the distinctive luxury and exclusivity of the brand designs. Its essence comes from Makiko Minagawa, the Creative Director, who believed that traditional techniques can be given life in a contemporary context. Specific techniques of knitting, embroidery and dyeing gathered from different countries and cultures, and combined in detailed garments. Minagawa has long been a collaborator of Issey Miyake, and the Textile Director of the Miyake Design Studio. She uses her expertise to develop new textiles that are light and soft to the touch, and to blend traditional crafts with modern materials and production processes.

Issey Miyake launched his first L'Eau d'Issey fragrance in 1992. The essence of this fragrance is inspired by the idea of water as an essential element in all life. This essence is light, with a floral mixture, musky and with woody tones. Miyake continued with a L'Eau d 'Issey Pour Homme fragrance for men launched in 1994, inspired by the strong, refreshing and agile qualities of water. The fragrance is fresh, with wood essences. In 2004 was launched the new fragrance for men L'Eau Bleue d'Issey Pour Homme. TribecaISSEYMIYAKE charges Issey Miyake's full line of fragrances.