Rest in Pleats - The Legacy of One of the Most Influential Designers in History
It’s with a heavy heart that we are writing this post. It seems as if month after month we are losing true pioneers and cultural leaders, and yesterday was no different.
Unfortunately, on August 9th, 2022, we lost a true fashion legend: Issey Miyake. A man who not only defined a generation of future designers, but also paved the way for them, inspiring them to think differently, think diversely, and think outside the walls of confinement we often find ourselves in.
A man that cast a giant shadow over the fashion world with his presence and stature, yet simultaneously lit it up for us to explore and see it in new and interesting ways. Now resting after a lifelong career of mastery, he now leaves a monumental legacy ingrained in the fashion universe behind.
Each and every one of us in the team are Issey Miyake fans. Whether it’s the more entry-level Homme Plissé, his early work on Plantation, or his impact on brands such as Final Homme, Miyake shook the world with his innovation. His designs, vast and diverse, are a culmination of endless years of practice and dedication. It takes no fashion-centric individual to realise that an Issey piece is a statement of craftsmanship, meticulously thought about, and although magnificent in their ways, elegantly simplistic to the point of wearability that’s unmatched in his field of work.
As one of the originals in the great trio of Japanese avant-garde fashion, alongside Yohji Yamamoto and Rei Kawakubo, without Issey Miyake fashion truly would not be what it is today. Graduating in 1965, it’s hard to believe what the fashion industry would be if he never started his 57 yearlong pilgrimage to bettering garments. Since then, he has blessed us with some of fashion's greatest techniques and showcases, from his development in textiles such as the Pleats Plisse, his A-POC [A piece of cloth], and his photography books with Steve Irwin, truly providing us with an avant-garde lens into a different dimension.
Thank you, Miyake. The Father of textiles. The teacher of teachers. Your favourite designer’s favourite designer.
