Miyake was a pioneer of high-tech, comfortable clothing and was part of the wave of Japanese designers that flourished in Paris.
Japanese designer Issey Miyake, known for his pleated, wrinkle-free style, has died at the age of 84, according to domestic media reports.
Miyake, who became synonymous with Japan’s economic and fashion power in the 1980s, died of liver cancer on August 5, Kyodo News reported Tuesday.
An employee at his office in Tokyo said Miyake’s funeral had already been held with “only relatives attending” in line with his wishes. Said.
A pioneer of high-tech, comfortable clothing in a career spanning more than half a century, Miyake was part of a wave of young Japanese designers active in Paris since the mid-1970s.
His fashion house nurtured many talented young designers and was known for his innovative and dazzling catwalk shows.
“Modern and optimistic”
Born in Hiroshima, Miyake was seven years old when the United States dropped an atomic bomb on the city of Hiroshima while he was in a classroom. He hesitated to talk about events in his life after him. Writing for The New York Times in 2009 as part of a campaign to get then-U.S. President Barack Obama to visit New York, he said he didn’t want to be labeled a “designer who survived the atomic bombing.”
“When I close my eyes, I see things no one should ever experience,” he wrote, adding that within three years his mother had died from radiation exposure.
“Even though it’s a failure, I put them behind me and tried to think of what I could create rather than destroy, and what would bring beauty and joy. To be a modern, optimistic creative format.” I was drawn to the field of clothing design.”
experimental
Miyake, who is known for her practicality, is said to have wanted to be a dancer or an athlete, but changed direction after reading her sister’s fashion magazine.
After studying graphic design at Tokyo University of the Arts, he studied clothing design in Paris and worked with renowned fashion designers Guy Laroche and Hubert de Givenchy before moving to New York. In 1970 he returned to Tokyo and established Miyake Design Studio.
In the late 1980s, he developed a new method of pleating by wrapping the fabric in a layer of paper and placing it in a heat press while retaining the shape of the pleats. The dancer’s freedom of movement was tested and this led to the development of his signature “Pleats Please” line.
He also experimented with different materials, from plastic to metal wire and even artisanal Japanese paper.
Ultimately, he developed a dozen fashion lines, from flagship Issey Miyake to men’s and women’s bags, watches, and fragrances, before effectively retiring in 1997 to devote himself to research.
Among his other inventions are the futuristic triangular bag “Bao Bao” and the “A-POC (A Piece Of Cloth)” concept that uses a computer to cut the entire garment seamlessly. .
He also made over 100 black turtlenecks for Apple co-founder Steve Jobs.
