Issey Miyake is an anomaly in the world of design and of men. The Japanese fashion designer not only shifted social perceptions on clothing, but he also pioneered the technology that made this shift possible and did so without forgoing the heritage of the craft. A survivor, inventor, philosopher and anthropologist who seeks to question the nature of a universal public as it navigates the modern world who more importantly would have us questioning it too. 

Issey Miyake, originally named Miyake Kazumaru, was born on April 22, 1938 in Hiroshima, Japan. He rarely discusses his childhood and for good reason – his mother and family were killed when the first atomic bomb was dropped in Hiroshima when he was only a child. At the age of 10, he also developed a bone-marrow disease and walks with a limp to this day. Ever since this tragedy, Miyake has only ever looked forward preferring to think of things that can be created, not destroyed and that bring beauty and joy. Today, he is renowned for pioneering Japanese design and combining Eastern and Western elements in his craft. 

Miyake assembled his first collection named “The Poem of Material and Stone” (Nuno to ishi no uta) whilst studying graphic design at Tama Art University in Tokyo, and graduated in 1964. In 1965, Miyake moved to Paris to study haute couture at the Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne. His career began in 1966, working as an assistant designer at French designer house Guy Laroche and for a period with Hubert de Givenchy. During his tenancy in Paris he also witnessed the 1968 Paris riots, which sparked his interest in creating clothing for a universal public.