Issey Miyake Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Issey Miyake
Miyake in Tokyo, 2016
Born	(1938-04-22)22 April 1938 Hiroshima, Empire of Japan
Died	5 August 2022(2022-08-05) (aged 84)
Education	Tama Art University
Notable work	L'eau d'Issey
Awards	Praemium Imperiale

Issey Miyake (Japanese: 三宅一生, Hepburn: Miyake Issei, 22 April 1938 – 5 August 2022) was a famous Japanese fashion designer. He was known for creating clothing, exhibitions, and perfumes using new technology. His most famous product was probably his perfume, L'eau d'Issey.

Life and Creative Journey
Issey Miyake Brands and Collections
Issey Miyake Perfumes
Awards and Recognition
Images for kids
See also

Life and Creative Journey

Early Life and Education

Issey Miyake was born on April 22, 1938, in Hiroshima, Japan. When he was seven years old, he experienced the atomic bombing in August 1945. He didn't talk about this experience until 2009, when former U.S. President Barack Obama spoke about wanting a world without nuclear weapons.

As a child, Miyake dreamed of becoming a dancer. His interest in fashion began when he looked at his sister's fashion magazines. He studied graphic design at Tama Art University in Tokyo and finished in 1964. He tried to enter fashion competitions but didn't win because he wasn't good at making patterns or sewing yet. After college, he went to a fashion school in Paris and worked as an assistant designer for Guy Laroche. He also worked with Hubert de Givenchy, where he drew many sketches every day.

Starting His Own Studio

In 1969, Miyake moved to New York City. There, he met artists like Christo and Robert Rauschenberg. He took English classes at Columbia University and worked for designer Geoffrey Beene. In 1970, he returned to Tokyo and started his own company, the Miyake Design Studio. This studio made high-quality women's fashion.

Inspiration and New Ideas

From a young age, Miyake admired the artist Isamu Noguchi. He was inspired by Noguchi's fresh and fun designs. He also looked up to fashion designer Madeleine Vionnet, who used math and "a single piece of beautiful cloth" in her designs. In Paris, Miyake visited museums and said he was influenced by sculptors like Constantin Brâncuși and Alberto Giacometti.

In the 1980s, Miyake, along with Babette Pinsky, helped bring back the Mariano Fortuny pleat.

Developing Unique Pleating Techniques

In the late 1980s, Miyake started trying out new ways to make pleats. He wanted clothes that would allow people to move easily and also be simple to care for and produce. His special method involves cutting and sewing the clothes first. Then, they are placed between layers of paper and put into a hot press. This process creates the pleats. The fabric "remembers" the pleats, so when the clothes are taken out of the paper, they are ready to wear.

He designed costumes for the Ballett Frankfurt using this new pleated fabric. He realized this method worked well for dancers. After watching how dancers moved, he sent them many garments to wear during performances. This led to his famous Pleats, Please collection and inspired him to use dancers to show off his designs.

Miyake became good friends with the pottery artist Dame Lucie Rie. She gave him some of her old ceramic buttons, which he used in his clothing designs. He also became friends with Apple's Steve Jobs and created the black turtlenecks that became Jobs' signature look. Jobs once said that Miyake made him about a hundred of them.

In March 1992, Miyake was quoted saying, "Design is not for philosophy—it's for life."

Collaborations and Legacy

Between 1996 and 1999, Miyake worked with different artists for his "Guest Artist" series. These artists included Yasumasa Morimura, Nobuyoshi Araki, Tim Hawkinson, and Cai Guo-Qiang. Miyake wanted to create an "interactive relationship" between art and the people who admired it. By wearing these artworks, people could experience fashion and art at the same time.

In 1994 and 1999, Miyake handed over the design of his men's and women's collections to his associate, Naoki Takizawa. This allowed Miyake to focus on research full-time. He was also one of the co-directors of 21 21 DESIGN SIGHT, Japan's first design museum. In March 2016, a large exhibition of his work was held at The National Art Center, Tokyo, celebrating his 45-year career.

Issey Miyake passed away from liver cancer on August 5, 2022, at the age of 84.

Issey Miyake Brands and Collections

Miyake supervised all the different lines created by his company, even after he stepped back from designing in 1997.

Issey Miyake – This is the main collection line. It has collections for men (since 1978/85) and women (since 1971).
Issey Miyake Fête – A colorful women's line that uses the special pleating technology. Fête means 'celebration' in French. (since 2004)
Pleats Please Issey Miyake – This line features polyester jersey clothes for women. The fabric is first cut and sewn, then pleated using Miyake's special heat-press method. This makes the pleats permanent. Miyake patented this technique in 1993.
HaaT – A women's line designed by Miyake's former textile designer, Makiko Minagawa. HaaT means 'village market' in Sanskrit and sounds like 'heart' in English.
A-POC – Started in 1998, this is a custom collection for men and women. It involves tubes of fabric that are machine-made and can be cut into different shapes by the person wearing them. A-POC stands for 'a piece of cloth'.
132 5. Issey Miyake – This is an updated version of the A-POC idea. The items are two-dimensional shapes made from recycled plastic and natural fibers. They unfold into structured clothes. (since 2014)
me Issey Miyake – A line of "one-size-fits-all" shirts that stretch to fit the wearer. They are sold in a plastic tube and are called Cauliflower in non-Asian markets. (since 2001)
Bao Bao Issey Miyake – A popular line of bags.
Issey Miyake Watches – Watches for both men and women.
Issey Miyake Perfumes – A line of fragrances for men and women.
Evian by Issey Miyake – A special limited edition bottle designed by Issey Miyake for Evian water.
Issey Miyake also had a store called ELTTOB TEP Issey Miyake (which is 'Pet Bottle' spelled backward) in Osaka. It sold all his different lines.
21 21 Design Sight – This is a museum-like research center for design in Roppongi, Tokyo, opened in 2007. Issey Miyake was one of its directors.
The Miyake Issey Foundation – Founded in Tokyo in 2004, this foundation runs the 21_21 Design Sight center, organizes exhibitions, and publishes books.
Issey Skyline – A limited number of cars produced to promote the Nissan Skyline in 1982.

Issey Miyake Perfumes

Like many fashion designers, Issey Miyake also had his own line of perfumes. His very first fragrance, L'eau d'Issey, was created by a perfumer named Jacques Cavallier.

This scent was followed by L'eau d'Issey Pour Homme (for men) in 1994. Other perfumes like L'eau Bleue d'Issey Pour Homme came out in 2004, and L'eau Bleue d'Issey Eau Fraiche in 2006. Every year from 2007, Issey Miyake released a special "limited edition" perfume for ladies, often working with a "guest" perfumer. Issey Miyake perfumes are made by the Beauté Prestige International part of Shiseido.

Awards and Recognition

Issey Miyake received many important awards for his work:

In 2005, he won the Praemium Imperiale for Sculpture.
He received the Arts and Philosophy Kyoto Prize in 2006.
Japan's Order of Culture in 2010.
The XXIII Premio Compasso d'Oro in 2014, for his IN-EI Issey Miyake lamp collection with Artemide.