Today, in memoriam of the great Issey Miyake, we look back at his life and legacy; the beauty and joy he bought to so many around him.

Issey Miyake 1994

In 1993, Issey Miyake released his iconic line ‘Pleats Please’. One of his most innovative moments, this line was created with a patented process by the name of ‘garment pleating’ wherein the clothes were pleated instead of the textiles. This allowed for fun, origami-like designs that allowed and even encouraged movement. The above photo shot by Irving Penn for Miyake’s 1994 spring/summer collection shows this vivacious and fluid spirit.

Grace Jones

Sometime in the 70s, when Japanese fashion designers were having a heyday, Club kid Grace jones and Issey Miyake met and thus was born a prolific, artistic relationship. She became his muse, regularly sporting his visionary designs and walking in shows for him such as ‘12 Black Women’ in 1976. She credits him with boosting her career and introducing her to kabuki stances, allowing her to exude power with little movement – the quintessential Jones look.

Steve Jobs

Not many people might know this, but the man behind Steve Jobs’ iconic black turtleneck is actually Miyake. Jobs and Miyake were close friends and Miyake created ‘hundreds’ of sets of the top for him, officially retiring them in 2011 when he passed. Here, pictured in Palo Alto in 2005, Steve Job’s wearing his classic mock black turtleneck, Levis and New balance kicks, something he wore almost religiously.

Issey Miyake 1999

The above piece is from the finale of his 1999 spring/summer women’s collection called ‘Le Feu’. APOC, otherwise known as ‘A Piece Of Cloth’, was the simple basis for this piece that went on to be both a complete piece of clothing as well as just fabric. The beauty and boldness behind this look, as well as the level of design that went into it, is archetypal Miyake and shows he goes far beyond the realm of fashion designer and well into the realm of artist and innovator. He himself claimed he was ‘not a fashion designer’.

Mary-Kate Olsen

Miyake’s designs are loved by a wide variety of people and it’s undeniable his designs touched many. Here, we have Mary-Kate Olsen stepping out in a chic Miyake Gown for the 2013 CFDA Awards. This piece really shows the diversity of his capabilities, he could make fun, unorthodox, bright designs and just as well make a classic black gown.

Issey Miyake 2020

Issey Miyake officially retired in 1997, but his designs and brand have continued to be a prolific part of fashion. The above video shows, in classic Miyake style, the beauty and joy he set out to give embodied in free-flowing and geometric pieces. The brain behind the SS20 show was Satoshi Kondo, who embodied Miyake style perfectly, and we look forward to what else the Issey Miyake brand shall henceforth create.

It is certainly a tragic day for fashion; however, Miyake’s legacy has lived on and will continue to do so. In fact, I defy you to find me one east London fashion girly not reeling from the loss in a pleats please skirt today.

Words By Giuliana Zamudio-Lopez

^{Header Image: Issey Miyake}

The post The Life & Legacy Of Issey Miyake appeared first on Voir Fashion.

The show had a magical touch from its opening, as Virgil’s voice was heard speaking on the subject of adults having the ability to return to “childhood wonderment” when allowing their imagination to be set free. This speech was matched with a hot air balloon ascending into the air, perhaps as a symbol of Virgil’s high achievements and the positive mark he left on the world. 

At the forefront of the show was the impeccable designs Abloh created, a vocation he dedicated his life to perfecting and delivering. Many designs were the creations we previously saw in June at LV’s Paris Fashion show, however, this didn’t take away from the star-quality and individualism of the designs, that only Virgil could have pulled off. 

Back in June, Virgil spoke about his collection saying;

“I’ve started to let my imagination run wild. I try to create the world as I would like to see it in real life. Having something that’s pop culture and fashion, that’s an education and maybe opens minds. To me, that’s the North Star.”

The show had a huge turnout, with friends and supporters amongst the crowd such as Pharrel Williams, Rihanna, ASAP Rocky, Kim Kardashian and Virgil’s lifelong friend and collaborator Kanye West. 

Louis Vuitton’s CEO Michael Burke was also in attendance, delivering a poignant heartfelt speech moments before the models took to the runway. 

“The deeply moving show we are about to see is born out of an idea Virgil and I first discussed three years ago. It is based around the traditional coming of age narrative, but of course, being Virgil, he spun and recontextualized the concept for the 21st century, and in doing so expressed his own unique talents and vision. This idea of coming of age was important to Virgil because inspiring and empowering younger generations defined who he was. He used the platform he had to break boundaries, to open doors, to shed light on his creative passions, art, design, music, and of course, fashion, so that everybody could see inside—not only to dream of being part of that world, but to also find ways to make that dream a reality.”

Speaking in June, Abloh said that he wanted “to keep diversity at the forefront of how I think about what fashion is today.” There is no doubting the fact that he achieved this goal, with his final showcase offering styles that represented and expressed different cultures and walks of life. Virgil’s legacy cannot be erased, having touched so many of us with his remarkable talent, and in turn, empowering a generation to make their dreams a reality.

Words By Nadia Clasper

_{Photo Credit: Jerry Lorenzo Instagram}

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