Issey Miyake
You guys will know Issey Miyake through his thoroughly recognized international brand from perfumes to high fashion, yes? His clothing design are known for his technology-driven designs and glamorous exhibitions. Mr. Miyake is a scientist at heart despite a very talented designer. But his perfumes are more known than his fashion designs.
Mr. Miyake was born in Hiroshima, Japan, and studied graphic design at the Tama Art University in Tokyo, graduating in 1964. After graduation, he worked in Paris and New York City. Returning to Tokyo in 1970, he founded the Miyake Design Studio.
In the late 80s, he began to experiment with new methods of pleating that would allow both flexibility of movement for the wearer as well as ease of care and production. This eventually resulted in a new technique called garment pleating and in 1993’s “Pleats Please” in which the garments are cut and sewn first, then sandwiched between layers of paper and fed into a heat press, where they are pleated. The fabric’s ‘memory’ holds the pleats and when the garments are liberated from their paper cocoon, they are ready-to wear.
In 1994 and 1999, Miyake turned over the design of the men’s and women’s collections respectively, to his associate, Naoki Takizawa, so that he could return to research.
Like many fashion designers, Issey Miyake also has a line of perfumes. His first fragrance, the light aquatic-floral L’eau d’Issey for women, was launched in 1992. The name L’eau d’Issey (engl.: Issey’s water) is a pun. In French, it sounds identical to “l’odyssée” (engl. odyssey). The scent was followed by L’eau d’Issey Pour Homme (for men) in 1994. L’eau Bleue d’Issey Pour Homme was introduced in 2004; however, it was recently discontinued due to low sales. A new Issey Miyake men’s fragrance, L’eau d’Issey Pour Homme Intense, was introduced at Nordstrom in the United States in June 2007, with a larger worldwide rollout following in September 2007. Issey Miyake fragrances are produced under a long-term agreement by the Beauté Prestige International division of Shiseido, who also produces fragrances for Narciso Rodriguez and Jean-Paul Gaultier.
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