ISSEY MIYAKE

Japanese designer Issey Miyake launched his namesake womenswear label in 1971. A fashion industry pioneer for nearly half a century, the brand radicles its design philosophies in technical originality, creative experimentation and pragmatism. Miyake’s dedication to innovation in design, especially textile engineering, can be regarded in his inventive pleating technique, debuting in the brand’s Pleats Please line in 1993. Current head designer Satoshi Kondo maintains Miyake’s legacy of innovation, blending traditional Japanese techniques and cutting-edge technologies to develop experimental 3D fabrics.

Miyake launched his menswear line in 1985. Issey Miyake Men, currently designed by creative director Yusuke Takahashi, embraces the eponymous line’s innovative essence through his use of experimental textiles, featuring pleating and other textural techniques. Beyond this affinity for textures is a focus on bold graphic prints developed using Exclusive processes offering minimalist ready-to-wear as a structure for the delivery of avant-garde artistic statements.