Issey Miyake, legendary Japanese fashion designer, dies at 84
Legendary Japanese fashion designer Issey Miyake has passed away.
Miyake died of liver cancer on Friday morning in Tokyo. He was 84 years old.
The designer was known for everything from unique designs and fine fragrances to the creator of the black turtlenecks worn by Apple’s Steve Jobs.
Miyake’s company has confirmed that a private burial has already taken place.
Issey Miyakei during Paris Fashion Week circa 1993 in Paris.
Press/Getty Images
Born in Hiroshima in 1938, Miyake was 7 when the United States dropped an atomic bomb on the city during World War II. He discussed the bombing as an adult with The New York Times in 2009, mentioning that he didn’t want to be known as “the designer who survived the atomic bomb”.
In 1971, the first Issey Miyake collection was launched in New York, and soon after was shown at Paris Fashion Week Fall/Winter 1973.
Over the years, the company has displayed everything from extraordinary textures and eclectic styles to modern and chic everyday wear.
In Walter Isaacson’s biography of the Apple co-creator, Jobs said he was tired of his black Issey Miyake turtlenecks to last a lifetime. The designer made him over 100 sweaters which he paired with jeans as his uniform until the day he died.
Issey Miyake attends the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute Gala Exhibition December 8, 1986 at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.
Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images
On Tuesday, fans and fashion industry notables began sharing their condolences for Miyake on social media.
“Farewell, Issey Miyake, fabric sculptor. Wearable comfort has never been so chic,” tweeted The New York Times and INYT’s fashion director/critic. Vanessa Friedman.
Fashion and costume historian Shelby Ivey Christie also added, “What a great legacy to leave behind. Innovation, thoughtful design without compromising the influence of one’s culture, true originality + the inspiration of a house. Iconic, Issey Miyake.”
“MIYAKE broke the boundaries between East and West and sought ‘the body, the fabric that covers it, and a comfortable relationship between the two’ as a fundamental concept, both shocking and resonant with people in the world. world,” the company said on its website.
Miyake handed over design duties to his partner, Naoki Takizawa, now design director at Uniqlo, in 1999. The brand is currently led by Satoshi Kondo, who took over as design director for the Spring/Summer 2020 collection from the brand.
