Skip to content

Issey Miyake (1938-2022) left Toyko in 1964 and headed to Paris and a career in fashion. He worked for Guy Laroche and then for Givenchy in the late 1960s. In 1969 he went to New York where he worked with Geoffrey Beene.

In 1970 Miyake returned to Toyko and formed Miyake Design Studio. He showed his first collection the following year. Two years later he showed his collection in Paris for the first time. From the beginning, Miyake has been concerned with freedom of movement and the shape of the human form as opposed to the shape of the clothes. Miyake’s designs often involve layering and wrapping and they combine elements from both Eastern and Western clothing.

Miyake started a men’s line in 1976. In the 1980s Miyake began working with pleating techniques and he started his “Pleats Please” label in 1993. In 1999 Naoki Takizawa became the designer of Miyake’s women’s wear lines. From 2007 to 2011 the designer was Dai Fujiwara. In May 2011, it was announced that Yoshiyuki Miyamae would be the designer starting with the spring/summer 2012 collection..

Label Note: Items marked on the care label “ISSEY MIYAKE INTL. INC.” or “IMII” pre-date August 1990, while those marked “ISSEY MIYAKE INC” date from 1990 to the present. Thanks to Paul Lemieux for that information

Written by fuzzylizzie


from a late 1970s/early 1980s wind coat - Courtesy of novaFashions

from a late 1970s/early 1980s wind coat

Courtesy of novaFashions

from a 1980s skirt - Courtesy of themerchantsofvintage

from a 1980s skirt

Courtesy of themerchantsofvintage

from a 1980s sweater - Courtesy of Ranch Queen Vintage

from a 1980s sweater

Courtesy of Ranch Queen Vintage

from a late 1980s skirt - Courtesy of fuzzylizzie.com

from a late 1980s skirt

Courtesy of fuzzylizzie.com

from a pre August 1990 pleated jacket - Courtesy of poppysvintageclothing

from a pre August 1990 pleated jacket

Courtesy of poppysvintageclothing

from a mid 2000s label; used from at least 1994 - Courtesy of kickshawproductions

from a mid 2000s label; used from at least 1994

Courtesy of kickshawproductions