A major display chronicling the life and work of prolific and visionary fashion designer Issey Miyake has opened at the National Art Centre in Tokyo.
The exhibition will offer an unprecedented opportunity to delve into the designer’s oeuvre – with the production process Miyake used to create his iconic 1993 ‘Pleats Please’ collection on display for the first time.
Issey Miyake adopted a unique approach to design that married the use of conventional materials and ancient craft traditions with modern and innovating techniques. Miyake’s work is a rejection of fashion in it’s most commercialised form, demonstrating a preoccupation with issues surrounding identity and sustainability. Clothes with a purity of purpose and innovative design always take precedence over clothes as a symbol of status or wealth for Miyake.
The exhibition sheds light on the designer’s extraordinarily expansive career, spanning from 1970 to the present. During this period, Issey Miyake has created some of the most innovative designs to ever grace the runways. A crease-proof suit, a jumpsuit with a tattoo motif that looks like a wearable second skin, and a multi-size handkerchief dress made of just three squares of fabric joined on the bias are just some of the designs that illustrate the inimitability of Issey Miyake. If you’re in Tokyo any time from now until June 13th, this is not to be missed.
