The Nation: Thailand
Established in 1970 by Issey Miyake, the brand made its debut in New York in 1971 and has regularly participated in Paris Fashion Week since 1973. The philosophy has evolved and grown, but the brand remains focused on “tech-novation”, which is the melding together of technology and innovation. Its constant dedication to research, experiment and development, together with creative ideas, has allowed the brand to release many groundbreaking designs.
Over the past 40 years, Miyake, now 79, has created numerous masterpieces, including the brand’s famous “Pleats”, which was introduced in 1989. The brand’s spirit has been passed on to many designers, both past and present, including Miyamae, who was behind the creation of the ‘‘Steam Stretch’’ innovation, which is used in the exclusive Capsule Collection.
In addition to making the most of technology, Miyamae says the brand is constantly inspired by the wonders of nature. “The growth ring of a tree is so beautiful; the curves are very attractive and powerful. Nature is beautiful in a way that man cannot create. Our philosophy of clothing made from a ‘piece of cloth” has taught us so much about fabric and we have created a software program that takes into account the experiences of our people from many fields from the creation of yarn to the woven process. It is human imagination that creates the ideas and the ideas come from many departments – designers, pattern maker, yarn manufacturer and so on. Everybody is important. The brand continues to improve its technology, making its fabrics one of a kind and difficult to emulate. From ordinary materials like cotton and polyester, Issey Miyake programs the patterns thereby making standard material into something quite innovative,” Miyamae says.