The ISSEY MIYAKE brand has been at the forefront of Japanese fashion since its women’s collection debuted in New York in 1971. Famed for their innovative and experimental creations, ISSEY MIYAKE continues to impress fashionistas the world over, with their latest Spring/Summer2013 range being no exception.
Established by Mr. Issey Miyake, graduate of the prestigious Tama Art University, ISSEY MIYAKE shifted its field of presentation to Paris in 1973. Fast forward almost 40 years later it is now a truly global brand with various collections and stores in most major cities. Since stepping aside in 1999, Mr. Issey Miyake has handed over the reins of his women’s collections, though to this he day continues to oversee proceedings.
The reins are in safe hands with current ISSEY MIYAKE designer Yoshiyuki Miyamae, who began working alongside Mr. Issey Miyake and Creative Director Dai Fujiwara at MIYAKE DESIGN STUDIO from 2001, on their famous A-POC project.
Miyamae presented his first collection as designer last year for Spring/Summer 2012, which was rapturously received in Paris not only for the designs, but for the traditional Japanese techniques and fabrics that Miyamae heavily focused upon. He was heralded by many as the man to bring ISSEY MIYAKE into a new era, a claim that we can’t refute after seeing his latest collection for Spring/Summer 2013.
What were your main inspirations behind the 2013 S/S range?
Our exploration of colors began with simplistic visions of bird feathers, and has evolved into this vibrantly colored collection.
Describe your personal design taste.
One of my design rules is to make clothes that fill the wearer’s heart and life with joy and excitement.
What type of woman do you have in mind when designing? Do you design for a specific woman?
There is no specific woman who inspires me in my mind, but there exists an ideal imaginary woman who has the maturity so as to appreciate the value and importance of everyday occurrence.
In your own words, what is the spirit of the ISSEY MIYAKE brand?
Through sufficient research of both the newest technology and traditional technique, ISSEY MIYAKE has been persistently developing a new way of applying them for making clothes that reflect the times.
What are your fondest memories of working on the A-POC project alongside Issey Miyake and Dai Fujiwara, and what did you learn from that experience?
Based on the concept “A Piece Of Cloth” made by Mr. Miyake and Mr. Fujiwara, I have learned how to develop suitable yarns to make clothes, and they also taught me to watch over and bear responsibility to our brand’s mission to until the products are brought to the customers.
What is your earliest memory of designing/creating?
From my childhood upward, I had been drawing and making things to amuse myself with absorbed interest, until I found there is always a responsibility incurred in designing/creating through working with Mr. Miyake.
Text by Mike Burns
1. This is not really a family man. He likes to go his own way and does not need the support of a home to return to.
2. Just practical enough to pull off his dreams and just impractical enough to dream far outside the box.
3. His will be a life of travel, crossing borders, both physical and mental.
4. A bit of confusion about what he wants to be what he grows up (practical ideas warring with his creative side) until he reaches his early 30’s at which point his path will become clear to him.
5. As his path becomes clear, finances will not be a problem for the rest of his life.
6. What initially appears to be a compromise with society and muting his creativity for practicality’s sake, will actually lead to the wealth and fame needed to support the full exploration of his creativity and vision.
7. Even-tempered. He neither angers easily nor holds grudges.
8. On those rare occasions when his temper is invoked, many dishes will need to be replaced as he will tend to smash things. Fortunately, this will only happen a few times in his life and will not involve people being smashed – provided they have the sense to duck!
This reading is by Lena, who has no idea this palm belongs to Yoshiyuki Miyamae
