Wondrous Wednesdays: The Tale of Issey Miyake
Once upon a time, during the 1970s, there were two iconic designers who were out to make a statement, each one so unique, they would shape the trajectory of the fashion world for the next 5 decades.
They were Yves Saint Laurent and Issey Miyake. One was in haute couture and the other was artisan. This article will explore the essence and values of Issey Miyake and what he became known for.
Back in the 1970s, the trends were moving away from clothing that hampered women, looking more to enhance their lifestyles and mobility, in every sense of the word. Givenchy helped train Issey Miyake in haute couture as well as the Parisian school of the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture.
The 1976 Spring-Summer show was something to behold. It featured jumpsuits and spinning-top dresses - a key moment in fashion when 12 black models graced the catwalk, among them Grace Jones. The following year, “A Piece of Cloth” collection was launched, redefining the lexicon of contemporary fashion from that point onward.
“A Piece of Cloth” collection SS 1977
Unlike many other designers, Issey Miyake made clothes to be worn, not just for the sake of fashion. He simplified complex processes and had the end wearer in mind. Each collection was building on the previous one, instead of reinventing the wheel. This was part of Miyake’s success in the business of fashion.
Issey Miyake AW 1976 Collection
From 1989, Issey Miyake started working with pleats and two years later, Pleats Please was born. This was a revolutionary way to make lightweight fabrics with subtle pleats, meaning that they will not crease in your suitcase when taking your clothing on holiday - no need for ironing or steaming when you arrive! The pleats gave a magic to the clothes when they moved, giving form to different shapes.
Moreover, a new type of polyester had to be developed to withstand the temperatures required in the pleating process. The pleats were permanent so that they didn’t wash out in the laundry and could be washed at home. This made the Pleats Please collection very durable and convenient for the owner.
In 1991, Issey Miyake worked with the William Forsythe Ballet Company for the production, “The Loss of Small Detail”, first performed that year. The dancers tried on different outfits and Issey decided to give them free reign. He was inspired - if professional dancers with different body types and heights enjoyed them so much, why not ordinary people? So the Pleats Please product line was developed and launched in 1993.
To this day, even after Issey Miyake’s passing a couple of years ago (he died on 5th August 2022 due to liver cancer, aged 84 at the time), the Pleats Please collection is going strong, being available in many forms and a vast array of colours on the official Issey Miyake website.
“Pleats Please are ‘global clothes’, which have made their way into people’s daily lives, becoming almost like a second skin.” Issey wrote of the product line back in 2012, for an essay for the book, Pleats Please by Taschen. “At the risk of being misunderstood, I want to emphasize that Pleats Please are ‘just clothes.’ After I began to make them, I finally felt I could embrace the word ‘design.’ Neither couture nor fashion, Pleats Please are ‘simply clothes’. By sending Pleats Please out into the world, I feel I have finally become a designer.
“I always believed that clothes should be anonymous. I don’t even care if people recognize them as mine. Nevertheless, even if they are products, they must bestow freedom on those who wear them. It is our job as designers to work with manufacturers to create clothes from materials in such a way that those who wear them have the freedom of expression and its resulting joy. For me, that is the legacy of Pleats Please.”
The concept of Pleats Please has trickled down to the high streets. The UK fashion retailer, Next, gives us an incarnation of the pleated jumpsuit almost every season - I have a few of these myself in various shades and an example is shown below. They are indeed very wearable and can be dressed up or down. The fabric is a light polyester which has small pleats that means the clothes will not crease in transit, making these kinds of pieces very practical. It would take you from the office to a cocktail party, with some statement accessories, as well. If you want to shop for similar clothing with small pleats, look for plisse fabrics as they are more commonly known.
I hope this article gave you a peek into the design processes for one of the best designers of the 20th and 21st Centuries, leaving you inspired to move closer to finding your own style. Please let me know in the comments what other designers you’d like me to discuss in future editions of Wondrous Wednesdays.
Thank you for reading!
Yours in Style,
V xxx…
Issey Miyake was a visionary!!
Loved reading about him and his invention of pleats please collection!!
Truly, fashion seems good if one can wear it everyday!!!
Very informative, Thanks ☺️
Love it ❤️❤️❤️