Issey Miyake
With the future as his guide and nature his inspiration, the path-breaking Japanese designer has created clothing with enduring, global appeal
Think of what fashion shows have become in the late 1990s: bright-light spectacles accompanied by thumping music, with skulking supermodels on the runway and preening celebrities in the front row. The clothes, often, are secondary to the drama surrounding the catwalk: laser shows, live bands, even locomotives delivering the models.
Then think of an Issey Miyake show. At last October's presentation in Paris, for instance, the stage was set with sculptural works by Japanese artist Susumu Shingu: Wind, made of feather-light squares of white material floating on wire stands, and White Aurora, strips of cloth suspended from the ceiling that turned with the breeze. The show opened silently, as design staffers rolled out tubes of white stretch fabric and plied their shears until a whole wardrobe emerged--a demonstration of Miyake's do-it-yourself a-poc (made from a piece of cloth) garments. Then, one by one, a procession of models presented clothes that wrapped, clung and flowed, suggesting sails and the sea. As a finale, the girls returned in red a-poc outfits still attached to one another in the long tube of fabric. Aside from the applause, the room was as serene as an art museum.
It was a typical Issey Miyake moment. In his three decades in design, Miyake has worked at the intersection of art and fashion, nature and technology, innovation and tradition and, notably, East and West. High-tech fibers are an obsession, but nature is an inspiration. He has used experimental materials such as nylon monofilament and molded silicone, but also traditional wares such as aburagami (an oil-soaked Japanese handmade paper used for umbrellas) and sashiko (a method of cotton quilting). He makes clothes that might seem unwearable without instructions (he once decided to turn a garment inside-out during a final fitting). But he also launched, in 1993, Pleats Please, a collection of pieces made of Fortuny-like folded fabrics that are meant to be universal, comfortable staples, like stylish alternatives to jeans and T shirts.
Above all, he is the first Asian designer to have become truly global, not only in renown but also in aesthetic. He has shown in Paris, New York and Tokyo. In 1978, he published East Meets West, a summary of his work up to that point, as well as a statement of his international intentions. Today, Miyake isn't identified so much as a Japanese designer as a designer who happens to be from Japan.
2006-10-29 08:49:32
·
answer #2
·
answered by wicca 2
·
2⤊
0⤋
you can get alot of fashion designer information online if you do you research well
2006-10-29 08:50:18
·
answer #3
·
answered by Lord Glyde 2
·
0⤊
0⤋
ummm....is this for your homework??if it is,it should be in the homework category,not the beauty and style.
try googling.
2006-10-29 08:49:50
·
answer #4
·
answered by vball.gal 3
·
0⤊
0⤋