I consider Issey Miyake to be one of the great minimalist designers of the 1990s. When I look carefully at his clothing they appear so plain, yet so sculptural. I chose Miyake as one of my designers to explore because of his minimal and logical approach to fashion, and his way of opening up new horizons for making clothes. Through extensive research, experimentation and development he always carefully considers the relationship between the human body and clothing. Born in Japan, Miyake studied graphic design in college.  After graduating in 1964, he left for Paris to study at la Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne.  Miyake returned to Japan in 1970 and started the Miyake Design Studio, where he established himself as a well-known designer.

Miyake was always interested in combining technology and functionality into his garments. In the late 80s, he experimented with new methods of pleating. This resulted in the creation of a new technique called 'garment pleating' which influenced his work heavily. His iconic contribution to fashion was his Pleats Please collection that I touched on briefly earlier in my blog when discussing my chosen subculture. This collection was very fresh and innovative for minimalism as a subculture, a designer considering more than just setting a trend. For this particular collection Miyake had a unique way of manipulating fabrics, he focused on geometric cutting and different ways to pleat the fabric to create three-dimensional shapes. His color pallet is usually very reduced, which keeps the focus on the movement of the wearer. Many of his garments take on the shapes of rectangles and other geometric forms when laid flat.  However, once placed on the body, the garments take shape and create interesting silhouettes. 

His clothing to date still has many of the same qualities that originate from his trademark Pleats Please collection. Miyake’s clothing embodies elements that are expressed through all minimal styles, the ability to re create form and shape in interesting ways. His work has never been about following a trend or perhaps even creating garments that are particularly wearable. His focus is on cut, shape and how the garment interacts with the wearer, creating sculptural pieces that push traditional elements of design. Miyake likes to be seen as an artist rather than a designer, developing new ways to utilize both function and form in his designs.