ISSEY MIYAKE

He is a Creative Director and a Survivor!

Miyake was born 22 April 1938 in Hiroshima, Japan. As a seven year-old, he witnessed and survived the nuclear bomb dropped on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945.  His mother died when he was ten years old from radiation exposure.  He shared his memories for the first time -- something he said he had not done before because he "did not want to be labelled 'the designer who survived the atomic bomb.'"

Issey Miyake asks Obama to visit Hiroshima

TOKYO (AFP) — Japanese fashion designer Issey Miyake, who survived the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, has urged US President Barack Obama to visit the city on the anniversary of the attack as part of his drive to rid the world of nuclear arms.

"I realized that I have, perhaps now more than ever, a personal and moral responsibility to speak out as one who survived what Mr. Obama called the 'flash of light,'" the designer wrote in an opinion piece published in the International Herald Tribune on Wednesday 15 July.

He said he hoped Obama would accept an invitation by the southern port city to commemorate the 64th anniversary of the bombing on August 6.

"If Mr. Obama could walk across the Peace Bridge in Hiroshima ... it would be both a real and a symbolic step toward creating a world that knows no fear of nuclear threat," the 71-year-old designer added.

"When I close my eyes, I still see things no one should ever experience: a bright red light, the black cloud soon after, people running in every direction trying desperately to escape -- I remember it all," he wrote.
His mother died from radiation exposure within three years of the attack.

The bombing killed an estimated 140,000 people by the end of 1945, either instantly or from radiation or horrific burns, and many more afterwards.

The US dropped a second nuclear bomb on Nagasaki three days later, killing more than 70,000 people. Japan surrendered less than a week later, ending World War II.

Issey Miyake changes artistic direction

Created in 1971 by Issey Miyake, the brand has become a fashion empire made of several subsidiary companies around the world.

Foiled Again

Its founder handed over the business to Naoki Takizawa in 2000 and the latter was replaced by Dai Fujiwara six years later.

SS09

Issey Miyake’s artistic director, in charge of the brand’s men’s and women’s collections for the past 5 years, will be presenting his last catwalk show on Friday the 4th of March. 

Dai Fujiwara is going to pursue another career opportunity, although no details of such have been disclosed.

Dai Fujiwara

The Japanese fashion house should announce its new artistic director by the month April 11.

Issey Miyake SS11 RTW

Issey Miyake SS11 Menswear

Issey Miyake AW11 RTW

Issey Miyake AW11 Menswear

ISSEY MIYAKE WATCHES

ISSEY MIYAKE PERFUM

Evian sources Issey Miyake for new limited edition bottle.

It is the Japanese brand’s turn to design a new special edition Evian water bottle. Following in the path of Christian Lacroix, Jean Paul Gaultier and Paul Smith, the series continues with Issey Miyake’s flowery bottle, inspired by his famous Pleats Please range.

Evian bottle customised by Issey Miyake

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V&A 

PLEATS PLEASE by Issey Miyake

Featured Collection – Spring/Summer 2001

Pleats Please collections were first launched in 1993. Made from single pieces of high quality 100% polyester fabric, the innovation behind Pleats Please are that the clothes are first cut and sewn together two-and-a-half to three times larger than the finished garments. Individual pieces are hand fed into a heat press sandwiched between two sheets of paper. The garment then emerges with permanent pleats. This industrial process allows both texture and form to be created at the same time. Vertical, horizontal and zig-zag pleating is used to create varying effects and architectural shapes.

Pleats Please clothes are very functional and practical; the garments store easily, travel well, require no ironing and can be machine-washed and dried within minutes. Shapes are simple, colours diverse. A set of standard colours is available each season, to which are added seasonal colours and prints.



The Spring/Summer 2001 collection celebrates the world of natural light and shadow and includes the following ranges: Stitch Denim, Flower Garden, Stripe Montage and Side Wave.

1) Stitch Denim range: Jeans, Shirt and T-Shirt
2) Flower Garden range: White Vest and Trousers, Mesh Skirt, Tunic and Cardigan and Stole
3) Stripe Montage range: Luminous Vest and Trousers, Vest and Stole 4) Stripe Montage range: Pink Trousers, Dress and Stole
5) Standard Black Pleats: Long Coat, Long Dress and Madame T Stole
6) Side Wave range: Black Vest, Skirt and Cape.