Born in 1938 in Hiroshima, Japan, which means that as a seven-year-old boy he witnessed the dropping of the nuclear bomb on his hometown. The trauma he experienced in childhood is present throughout his life and is often visible in his dramatic, strong, and moving designs that he presents on the runway. His passion for creation and design pushed him towards studying at the Graphic Department in Tokyo, which only sharpened his mind and imagination for various forms and fun with geometry. After completing his studies, he decided to follow his intuition, which led him straight into the arms of high-fashion tailoring.
Issey Miyake: From Tokyo to Paris and New York, or the winding road to the goal
Issey Miyake's goal was to hone his tailoring talent in a place where the most important fashion designers gathered in the 1960s, namely in Paris. Here he continues his studies, this time not in the graphic department, but in the Chamber Union of Haute Couture, in the heart of high fashion. He first gained practice at Guy Laroche and then hired by the master tailor, Hubert de Givenchy.
It was a time of the greatest flourishing of the brand created by Givenchy - the years in which the duo Audrey Hepburn and Hubert de Givenchy conquered film screens and the most fashionable city streets. At the end of the 1960s, Issey Miyake decided to try his luck in New York and see what the fashion market looks like on a distant continent. The time of revolution in fashion causes Paris and classic haute couture to be eclipsed by modern design from the West. Miyake is well aware that to be successful in fashion, you must skillfully combine your vision with what sells so well in the United States.
The king of the avant-garde and worshiper of the future
After a short stay in New York, the designer is finally ready to return to Tokyo and set up his own company: Miyake Design Studio. In a short time, he prepares his first collection, which in 1971 is presented in Tokyo and New York. It is worth noting that Issey Miyake is the first Japanese designer to decide on a bold and specific conquest of the West. Soon Rei Kawakubo and Yoji Yamamoto will follow him. This trio of designers, who presented a completely new perspective on fashion in the West in the 70s and 80s, plays a significant role in shaping new trends.
The first collection of the designer is characterized by a large dose of avant-garde and minimalism, which at that time is a revolution in global fashion. It's a time when hippie fashion rules, wide-bottom bell-bottoms, exclusive suits by Yves Saint Laurent and an extravagant approach to ready-to-wear fashion. Miyake, meanwhile, offers a tribute to geometry and construction, which will become increasingly important over time. The Japanese designer introduced it first and was immediately recognized as a virtuoso from a country that until now had little in common with global fashion.
Issey Miyake – perfumes that have survived decades
More modern collections of Issey Miyake are no longer as raw as his first projects. The base of his projects is still playing with geometry, bending the spatial rules of classic tailoring, experimenting with innovative materials and avant-garde combined with almost futuristic minimalism. On the other hand, the Issey Miyake brand is also an explosion of colors, patterns inspired by the colorful streets of Tokyo, and projects that are really ready to wear.
What else is Issey Miyake famous for today? Perfumes are another area in which the brand of the Japanese designer succeeds. Characteristic elongated bottles enclose fragrances that have been adored by women around the world for several dozen years. What is the most popular scent from Issey Miyake? Perfume L'eau d'Issey is obviously the most cult fragrance of this brand, available in various variants. Fresh, delicate, and strongly floral notes enclosed in a well-known bottle do not lose their relevance despite changing trends and times. As befits a virtuoso, Issey Miyake created projects and perfumes that we will wear successfully for many good years.
