Fashion career profile
Issey Miyake
Issey Miyake (1938–2022) was a Japanese designer who treated clothing as a meeting point for the body, materials, technology and everyday life. He studied graphic design at Tama Art University, graduating in 1964, then continued his fashion education in Paris at L’École de la Chambre Syndicale de la Couture. He worked as an assistant at two Paris couture houses and in New York ready-to-wear before returning to Tokyo. In 1970 he established MIYAKE DESIGN STUDIO, a research-led practice that developed clothing through construction experiments rather than conventional seasonal trends alone. Miyake showed his first overseas collection in New York in 1971 and joined the Paris collections in 1973. His later work included the PLEATS PLEASE line, launched in 1993, and A-POC, a new approach to producing garments from a continuous piece of cloth. The studio’s creative leadership later passed to Naoki Takizawa, while Miyake continued to shape research and special projects. His career linked a founder’s vision with a collaborative design institution.
- Role
- Founder, Issey Miyake
- Nationality
- Japanese
- Age at death
- 84
- Career appointments
- 1
- Fashion houses
- 1
- Le Bon Marché Will Bring Japanese Fashion Archives to the Auction FloorWWD · 2026-10-12
- Paris Fashion Week: Issey Miyake’s exploration of ma, Casablanca’s ode to festive Brazil, and Lanvin’s eleganceFashionNetwork · 2026-10-05
- ISSEY MIYAKE SS27 Is a Breath of Fresh AirHypebeast Fashion · 2026-10-02
- Paris training: Studied couture and assisted at two Paris houses in 1965The official biography identifies two houses but does not name them, so they are deliberately not inferred in the profile. · Issey Miyake Official Site
- New York collection: Presented his first overseas collection in New York in 1971The official chronology dates the overseas presentation and identifies it as the Spring/Summer 1971 collection. · Issey Miyake Official Site
- Paris collections: Joined the Paris collections in 1973The official chronology records his first Paris season and subsequent twice-yearly presentations. · Issey Miyake Official Site
- PLEATS PLEASE: Line launched in 1993The line used Miyake’s pleating research to create lightweight clothing designed for movement. · Kyoto Prize
- A-POC: Developed a garment-making concept from a continuous piece of cloth in the late 1990sThe name means “A Piece of Cloth”; later studio development is not attributed solely to Miyake without qualification. · Issey Miyake Official Site
- 1964 — Graduates from Tama Art UniversityCompletes graphic-design studies before moving into Paris couture training.
- 1970 — Establishes MIYAKE DESIGN STUDIOThe studio provides the base for a research-led approach to clothing and production.
- 1971 — Shows first overseas collection in New YorkThe Spring/Summer collection is presented outside Japan.
- 1973 — Joins the Paris collectionsMiyake presents in Paris and begins a recurring international runway presence.
- 1993 — Launches PLEATS PLEASEPleating research becomes a dedicated clothing line designed for movement.
- 1998 — Develops A-POCThe concept explores garments formed from a continuous piece of cloth.
- 1970–1999 — Founder and Designer — Issey MiyakeHistorical appointment · ISSEY MIYAKE