Issey Miyake
(1938-Present)
Biography
Issey Miyake was born in Hiroshima, Japan. He was cycling to school on August 6, 1945 when the Americans dropped the atom bomb. He lost most of his family during the attack. His mother was severely burned but carried on as a teacher for her remaining years until she died subsequently 4 years later (Polan). He is said to have always surrounded himself with strong, clever women as a result of his mother’s influence. At ten, he developed a bone marrow disease as a result of radiation exposure that still affects him today (Polan). At the time, Japan was being occupied by the Americans. The poor Japanese men envied the classic Ivy League look that the soldiers wore off-duty and the women craved the Parisian chic being displayed in Vogue at the time (Polan).
In 1965, Miyake graduated with a degree in graphic design from Tama Art University in Tokyo. He moved to Paris after designer Kenzo Takada garnered fame for becoming the first Japanese designer to gain success in France. The two studied tailoring and dressmaking at l’Ecole de la Chamber Syndicale de la Couture (Polan). In the 1966, Miyake apprenticed for couturier Guy Laroche and 2 years later, apprenticed for Givenchy in Paris. He then moved to Manhattan working for Geoffrey Beene before moving back to Tokyo in 1970 (Kawamura).
Miyake started his own design studio and began experimenting with innovative Eastern designs. He was one of the first Japanese designers to show in Paris and laid the foundation for Japanese designers as well as avant-garde designers (Kawamura). He became the leader of a new school of Japanese design alongside his successors Rei Kawakubo (Comme des Garçons) and Yohji Yamamoto (Kawamura).
In 1965, Miyake graduated with a degree in graphic design from Tama Art University in Tokyo. He moved to Paris after designer Kenzo Takada garnered fame for becoming the first Japanese designer to gain success in France. The two studied tailoring and dressmaking at l’Ecole de la Chamber Syndicale de la Couture (Polan). In the 1966, Miyake apprenticed for couturier Guy Laroche and 2 years later, apprenticed for Givenchy in Paris. He then moved to Manhattan working for Geoffrey Beene before moving back to Tokyo in 1970 (Kawamura).
Miyake started his own design studio and began experimenting with innovative Eastern designs. He was one of the first Japanese designers to show in Paris and laid the foundation for Japanese designers as well as avant-garde designers (Kawamura). He became the leader of a new school of Japanese design alongside his successors Rei Kawakubo (Comme des Garçons) and Yohji Yamamoto (Kawamura).
Designs
Critical Analysis
"When I first began working in Japan, I had to confront the Japanese people's excessive worship for foreign goods and the fixed idea of what clothes ought to be. I wanted to change the rigid formula of clothing that the Japanese followed."
-Issey Miyake (Kawamura)
Miyake was the first to redefine sartorial standards and reconstruct conventional productions of garments. He allowed the wearer to decide how to wear his garments themselves thus forcing them to be creative and think outside tradition. He was an outsider in the Western world of fashion and although it seems as a disadvantage in achieving success in America and Europe, it actually benefited Miyake in standing out and offering a new perspective on fashion. He was also an outcast in his own culture where Japanese tradition still was the dominant culture.
Growing up in postwar Japan and getting his start in Paris presented Miyake with problems in which he found himself wanting to solve. Japan was as he described “culturally obliterated” (Vogue) at this time. The Japanese people were going through an identity crisis. He recalls “my generation in Japan lived in limbo. We were the first really raised with Hollywood movies and Hershey bars, the first who had to look in another direction for a new identity. We dreamed between two worlds” (Vogue). In Paris, he found the exclusive world of haute couture to be elitist and oppressive and occidental clothing to be too tight as opposed to Japanese traditional dress. Yet, he enjoyed the rise of the Youthquake where the current mood of free love, pop art, and the Beatles that reigned over Western culture (Benaïm). Neither satisfied Miyake’s aesthetic needs so he had to pave his own path and create what was not being offered.
When Miyake made the mecca back to Tokyo, he rediscovered the rich craft practice and aesthetic of Japan. The ritual, formality, and restraint of Japanese tradition was akin to the standards of haute couture. He took the traditions of Japanese dress and the kimono and reinvented it with his groundbreaking techniques. The designer took the essence of the kimono and translated its shapelessness, anonymity, and comfort as the core philosophy of his designs (Palomo-Lovinski). He wanted to embody sensuality in his voluminous, abstract garments without restricting the body to the occidental standard of sex appeal. “Sex appeal is a spiritual matter, not a physical one (Polan)” says Miyake. His solution was to tease the senses through the imagination. Miyake was successful in balancing Eastern and Western traditions in a time where the two were constantly being divided and categorized.
Miyake was always being inspired by concepts of pragmatism, Japanese tradition, and sculpture. Because his designs have an architectural aesthetic, technology and construction influenced his perspective. Miyake was always being inspired by concepts of pragmatism, Japanese tradition, and sculpture. Because his designs have an architectural aesthetic, technology and construction influenced his perspective. The designer was very influenced by Mariano Fortuny’s pleating techniques as well as his perpetual search for developing new techniques with textiles and materials. Miyake’s Pleats were first shown in 1989 and reflected his perception of space, journeys, and his daily life (Benaïm). He found inspiration from french couturier Madame Grès’ pleats as well. The intentional way the pleats sculpted the body were reminiscent of Greek statues. Miyake was heavily influenced by Madeleine Vionnet’s pragmatic perspective and the relationship of clothing to a woman’s body. He was been quoted saying that seeing a Vionnet creation early in his career was a revelation (Palomo-Lovinski). Japanese sculptor, Isamu Noguchi, was able to infuse Japanese culture with American life as Miyake executes with balancing Eastern and Western standards
-Issey Miyake (Kawamura)
Miyake was the first to redefine sartorial standards and reconstruct conventional productions of garments. He allowed the wearer to decide how to wear his garments themselves thus forcing them to be creative and think outside tradition. He was an outsider in the Western world of fashion and although it seems as a disadvantage in achieving success in America and Europe, it actually benefited Miyake in standing out and offering a new perspective on fashion. He was also an outcast in his own culture where Japanese tradition still was the dominant culture.
Growing up in postwar Japan and getting his start in Paris presented Miyake with problems in which he found himself wanting to solve. Japan was as he described “culturally obliterated” (Vogue) at this time. The Japanese people were going through an identity crisis. He recalls “my generation in Japan lived in limbo. We were the first really raised with Hollywood movies and Hershey bars, the first who had to look in another direction for a new identity. We dreamed between two worlds” (Vogue). In Paris, he found the exclusive world of haute couture to be elitist and oppressive and occidental clothing to be too tight as opposed to Japanese traditional dress. Yet, he enjoyed the rise of the Youthquake where the current mood of free love, pop art, and the Beatles that reigned over Western culture (Benaïm). Neither satisfied Miyake’s aesthetic needs so he had to pave his own path and create what was not being offered.
When Miyake made the mecca back to Tokyo, he rediscovered the rich craft practice and aesthetic of Japan. The ritual, formality, and restraint of Japanese tradition was akin to the standards of haute couture. He took the traditions of Japanese dress and the kimono and reinvented it with his groundbreaking techniques. The designer took the essence of the kimono and translated its shapelessness, anonymity, and comfort as the core philosophy of his designs (Palomo-Lovinski). He wanted to embody sensuality in his voluminous, abstract garments without restricting the body to the occidental standard of sex appeal. “Sex appeal is a spiritual matter, not a physical one (Polan)” says Miyake. His solution was to tease the senses through the imagination. Miyake was successful in balancing Eastern and Western traditions in a time where the two were constantly being divided and categorized.
Miyake was always being inspired by concepts of pragmatism, Japanese tradition, and sculpture. Because his designs have an architectural aesthetic, technology and construction influenced his perspective. Miyake was always being inspired by concepts of pragmatism, Japanese tradition, and sculpture. Because his designs have an architectural aesthetic, technology and construction influenced his perspective. The designer was very influenced by Mariano Fortuny’s pleating techniques as well as his perpetual search for developing new techniques with textiles and materials. Miyake’s Pleats were first shown in 1989 and reflected his perception of space, journeys, and his daily life (Benaïm). He found inspiration from french couturier Madame Grès’ pleats as well. The intentional way the pleats sculpted the body were reminiscent of Greek statues. Miyake was heavily influenced by Madeleine Vionnet’s pragmatic perspective and the relationship of clothing to a woman’s body. He was been quoted saying that seeing a Vionnet creation early in his career was a revelation (Palomo-Lovinski). Japanese sculptor, Isamu Noguchi, was able to infuse Japanese culture with American life as Miyake executes with balancing Eastern and Western standards
Influence
Miyake’s innovation and fresh perspective on fashion have made him an icon. The assymmetrical, crumpled, twisted, hand-folded, supposed faults in design are instead celebrated in his work (Benaïm). He showed the fashion industry to use their imagination through the use of fabrics, textures, and proportion. He blurred the lines between fashion, art, and architecture in a surprisingly practical and utiltarian manner. In 1999, the designer created “A-POC” (a piece of cloth) that is reminiscent of Vionnet’s triumphs in creating a seamless, single-piece garment. A-POC was a simple “cut-and-wear from a tube of fabric. His Pleats Please collection has reinvented the standard casual attire of jeans and a t-shirt (Polan). The collection was machine-washable, feather-light, simple, useful, comfortable pieces that pleated in was that created interesting shapes on the body and could be worn several ways (Polan).
Although many of his creations were inspired by Fortuny and Vionnet, Miyake influenced his own generation of designers. His efforts paved the way for peers, Rei Kawakuno and Yohji Yamamto to enter into the Western markets. Hussein Chalayan shared similar traumatic childhood experiences as Miyake which influenced both their conquests of the human imagination and bridging of different cultures (Palomo-Lovinski). Chalayan’s avant-garde transforming dresses have the charming yet practical appeal as Miyake’s A-POC line and pleated dresses. Brazilian designer Francisco Costa’s experimental use of geometric manipulations of fabric took Miyake’s relationship with the body and garments to counteract and define the figure underneath the clothes (Palomo-Lovinski).
Issey Miyake succeeded in fusing avant-garde fashion and practical construction in a truly effervescent manner. When first looking at his designs, practicality does not necessarily come to mind, but the designer redefined the industry’s perspective. No designer has been so successful and eloquent in bringing Eastern and Western traditions into the same garment like Miyake has. His unforgettable ingenuity and curiosity has paved the way for avant-garde designers, textile mavens, and fabric sculptors across the world. Not only has inspired and broke ground for the new generations of innovators, but he is actively supporting young designers in his artist collectives and studios teaching them of his philosophy on fashion.
Although many of his creations were inspired by Fortuny and Vionnet, Miyake influenced his own generation of designers. His efforts paved the way for peers, Rei Kawakuno and Yohji Yamamto to enter into the Western markets. Hussein Chalayan shared similar traumatic childhood experiences as Miyake which influenced both their conquests of the human imagination and bridging of different cultures (Palomo-Lovinski). Chalayan’s avant-garde transforming dresses have the charming yet practical appeal as Miyake’s A-POC line and pleated dresses. Brazilian designer Francisco Costa’s experimental use of geometric manipulations of fabric took Miyake’s relationship with the body and garments to counteract and define the figure underneath the clothes (Palomo-Lovinski).
Issey Miyake succeeded in fusing avant-garde fashion and practical construction in a truly effervescent manner. When first looking at his designs, practicality does not necessarily come to mind, but the designer redefined the industry’s perspective. No designer has been so successful and eloquent in bringing Eastern and Western traditions into the same garment like Miyake has. His unforgettable ingenuity and curiosity has paved the way for avant-garde designers, textile mavens, and fabric sculptors across the world. Not only has inspired and broke ground for the new generations of innovators, but he is actively supporting young designers in his artist collectives and studios teaching them of his philosophy on fashion.
Work Cited
A-POC Inside. Perf. Issey Miyake. 2011. YouTube. Web. 9 Sept. 2014. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOozioA_h8s>.
Benaïm, Laurence. Issey Miyake. London: Thames and Hudson, 1997. Print.
"Issey Miyake." Bio. A&E Television Networks, 2014. Web. 25 Aug. 2014. <http://www.biography.com/#!/people/issey-miyake-9410792#synopsis>
"Issey Miyake." Voguepedia. Vogue, n.d. Web. 25 Aug. 2014. <http://www.vogue.com/voguepedia/Issey_Miyake>.
"DESIGNER PROFILE: TIRAVAN." Wolf & Badger. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Aug. 2014. <https://www.wolfandbadger.com/blog/designers/profiles/designer-profile-tiravan/>.
"Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History." Issey Miyake: "Seashell" or "Shell-knit" Coat (2003.79.16). Metropolitan Museum of Art, n.d. Web. 25 Aug. 2014. <http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/2003.79.16>.
Kawamura, Yuniya. "Miyake, Issey." Encyclopedia of Clothing and Fashion. Ed. Valerie Steele. Vol. 2. Detroit: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2005. 417-420. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 25 Aug. 2014.
Miyake, Issey, and Kazuko Koike. Issey Miyake: East Meets West. Tokyo: Heibonsha, 1978. Print.
Miyake, Issey, Dai Fujiwara, and Mateo Kries. A-Poc Making:. Weil: Vitra Design Museum, 2001. Print.
Palomo-Lovinski, Nöel. "Issey Miyake." The World's Most Influential Fashion Designers: Hidden Connections and Lasting Legacies of Fashion's Iconic Creators. New York, NY: Barron's, 2010. 102-05. Print.
Polan, Brenda, and Roger Tredre. "Chapter 31 Issey Miyake." The Great Fashion Designers. Oxford: Berg, 2009. N. pag. Print.
"The Brilliance of Issey Miyake: A Retrospective." The Rosenrot For The Love of AvantGarde Fashion. Rosenrot, 16 Aug. 2012. Web. 25 Aug. 2014. <http://the-rosenrot.com/2012/08/the-brilliance-of-issey-miyake-a-retrospective.html>.
"Wired 12.04: Seamless." Wired Archives. Wired, n.d. Web. 25 Aug. 2014. <http://archive.wired.com/wired/archive/12.04/miyake_pr.html>.
A-POC Inside. Perf. Issey Miyake. 2011. YouTube. Web. 9 Sept. 2014. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOozioA_h8s>.
Benaïm, Laurence. Issey Miyake. London: Thames and Hudson, 1997. Print.
"Issey Miyake." Bio. A&E Television Networks, 2014. Web. 25 Aug. 2014. <http://www.biography.com/#!/people/issey-miyake-9410792#synopsis>
"Issey Miyake." Voguepedia. Vogue, n.d. Web. 25 Aug. 2014. <http://www.vogue.com/voguepedia/Issey_Miyake>.
"DESIGNER PROFILE: TIRAVAN." Wolf & Badger. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Aug. 2014. <https://www.wolfandbadger.com/blog/designers/profiles/designer-profile-tiravan/>.
"Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History." Issey Miyake: "Seashell" or "Shell-knit" Coat (2003.79.16). Metropolitan Museum of Art, n.d. Web. 25 Aug. 2014. <http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/2003.79.16>.
Kawamura, Yuniya. "Miyake, Issey." Encyclopedia of Clothing and Fashion. Ed. Valerie Steele. Vol. 2. Detroit: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2005. 417-420. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 25 Aug. 2014.
Miyake, Issey, and Kazuko Koike. Issey Miyake: East Meets West. Tokyo: Heibonsha, 1978. Print.
Miyake, Issey, Dai Fujiwara, and Mateo Kries. A-Poc Making:. Weil: Vitra Design Museum, 2001. Print.
Palomo-Lovinski, Nöel. "Issey Miyake." The World's Most Influential Fashion Designers: Hidden Connections and Lasting Legacies of Fashion's Iconic Creators. New York, NY: Barron's, 2010. 102-05. Print.
Polan, Brenda, and Roger Tredre. "Chapter 31 Issey Miyake." The Great Fashion Designers. Oxford: Berg, 2009. N. pag. Print.
"The Brilliance of Issey Miyake: A Retrospective." The Rosenrot For The Love of AvantGarde Fashion. Rosenrot, 16 Aug. 2012. Web. 25 Aug. 2014. <http://the-rosenrot.com/2012/08/the-brilliance-of-issey-miyake-a-retrospective.html>.
"Wired 12.04: Seamless." Wired Archives. Wired, n.d. Web. 25 Aug. 2014. <http://archive.wired.com/wired/archive/12.04/miyake_pr.html>.