Issey Miyake, famous Japanese designer, dies at 84

Issey Miyake left a memorable and commendable mark on the fashion world during his 52-year career. Miyake was known for his insistence on slow fashion, affordability, adaptability, and artistry.

The designer recently passed away from liver cancer in Tokyo. Born in Hiroshima in 1938, he was a survivor of the 1945 atomic bomb at seven-years-old. Miyake went on to study graphic design at the Tama Art University in Tokyo before switching to a fashion focus in Paris. Under the mentorship of Guy Laroche and Hubert de Givenchy, the artists honed his skills and explored the crossover between the two disciplines.

Farewell, Issey Miyake, sculptor of cloth. Comfort dressing has never been so chic.

— Vanessa Friedman (@VVFriedman) August 9, 2022

Increasingly disappointed with the fashion industries practices and policies, Miyake created designs with the intention of accessibility and the ability to wear any piece no matter the current trends. He once commented on his philosophy saying: “I want my customer to be able to wear a sweater I designed 10 years ago with this year’s pants.”

Known for designing infamous staples like Steve Jobs' black turtlenecks and the celebrated Pleats Please line, his clothing was both functional, aesthetically pleasing, and affordable. With his growing cynicism for the direction of high-end fashion, Miyake viewed technology as a productive solution to tackling some of the overproduction and over-saturation of the industry. His idea for "A Piece of Cloth" demonstrated the potential of using a single piece of cloth for a myriad of pieces and reducing the amount of waste produced.

Such extraordinary courage in disrupting fashion stereotypes #isseymiyake pic.twitter.com/fzsLZaoktM

— Poppy Masselos (@poppymasselos) August 9, 2022

Today many of his designs live in museums including the Museum of Modern Art's permanent collection in New York, NY. Miyake has also received the Order of Culture (2010) and has been decorated as a The National Order of the Legion of Honour (Commandeur de l'Ordre National de la L´gion d'honneur) in 2016.

Beyoncé in Issey Miyake - Madame T Stole for Ghost (2014) pic.twitter.com/jRgIVq8XRu

— sam (@PINK0RDEI) August 9, 2022

During his life he was very private, and gave few interviews. The Issey Miyake Group stated that “as per Mr. Miyake’s wishes, there will be no funeral or memorial service”.