Issey Miyake

Issey Miyake (三宅 一生) is a Japanese fashion designer. He is known for his technology-driven clothing designs and exhibitions.

Biography
Miyake was born 22 April 1938 in Hiroshima, Japan, and studied graphic design at the Tama Art University in Tokyo, graduating in 1964. After graduation, he worked in Paris and New York City. Returning to Tokyo in 1970, he founded the Miyake Design Studio.

In the late 80s, he began to experiment with new methods of pleating that would allow both flexibility of movement for the wearer as well as ease of care and production. This eventually resulted in a new technique called garment pleating and in 1993's "Pleats Please" in which the garments are cut and sewn first, then sandwiched between layers of paper and fed into a heat press, where they are pleated. The fabric's 'memory' holds the pleats and when the garments are liberated from their paper cocoon, they are ready-to wear. He did the costume for Ballett Frankfurt with pleats in a piece named 'the Loss of Small Detail " William Forsythe and also work on ballet " Garden in the setting " ..it was a very good collaboration

In 1994 and 1999, Miyake turned over the design of the men's and women's collections respectively, to his associate, Naoki Takizawa, so that he could return to research. In 2007, Naoki Takizawa opened hid own brand, supported by the Issey Miyake Group and was replaced, as a Creative Director of the House of Issey Miyake, by Dai Fujiwara.

Perfumes
Like many fashion designers, Issey Miyake also has a line of perfumes. His first fragrance, the light aquatic-floral L'eau d'Issey for women, was launched in 1992. The name L'eau d'Issey (engl.: Issey's water) is a pun. In French, it sounds identical to "l'odyssée" (engl. odyssey). The scent was followed by L'eau d'Issey Pour Homme (for men) in 1994. L'eau Bleue d'Issey Pour Homme was introduced in 2004; however, it was recently discontinued due to low sales. A new Issey Miyake men's fragrance, L'eau d'Issey Pour Homme Intense, was introduced at Nordstrom in the United States in June 2007, with a larger worldwide rollout following in September 2007. Issey Miyake fragrances are produced under a long-term agreement by the Beauté Prestige International division of Shiseido, who also produces fragrances for Narciso Rodriguez and Jean-Paul Gaultier.

Stores
Miyake has stores in Tokyo, Paris, New York, and London. His New York flagship store, Tribeca IsseyMiyake was designed by Frank Gehry and is the first to carry all seven of his collections.

Awards
Mr. Issey Miyake won the Arts and Philosophy Kyoto Prize in 2006.

Trivia

 * He was mentioned in a song by Pet Shop Boys, Flamboyant.
 * Pimp C of the group UGK stated that he wears Issey Miyake number 9
 * Jay-Z also mentions "Girls cant diss me when im wearin the Issey"
 * AZ, Twista and Memphis rapper Ms. Kray-Z have all also made references to Issey Miyake in their music.
 * In an episode of the HBO series Entourage, Lloyd wears Issey Miyake cologne because client Mary J. Blige is coming in the agency and it is her favorite.
 * In an underground Lox track from the mid-1990's, ''Jadakiss mentions the Issey Miyake pour homme cologne in a line " I know she wonderin' is he a Lox, or is it the issey miyak; three quarters of my life spent chizzelin' rock, little time nigga with he stash in the sock".
 * In the 2007 film, The Bourne Ultimatum, Matt Damon wears an Issey Miyake sweater throughout the film. However, it was worn inside-out as it was deemed too fashionable for the character.