Issey Miyake - by Midori Kitamura (Hardcover)

About the Book

This definitive history of the life and work of Issey Miyake offers unique insight into the designer's vision and daring. The book is an encyclopedic reference to Miyake's material and technical innovations from 1960 to 2022, overseen by Midori Kitamura - the chairman of the Miyake Design Studio who worked alongside Miyake for over 45 years.

Book Synopsis

In 1983, Japanese designer Issey Miyake told The New Yorker that he aspired "to forge ahead, to break the mold." With the boundary-defying fashion lines that followed, he not only broke molds, but recast clothing altogether. With a unique fusion of poetry and practicality, his creations blur the boundaries between tradition, modern technology, and everyday function.

This definitive history of Miyake's clothes from 1960 to 2022 offers expert insight into the designer's vision and daring. Initiated and conceived by Midori Kitamura, the book looks at the texture-driven originality of Miyake's materials and techniques from the very earliest days of his career, before he had even established the Miyake Design Studio. Drawing on nearly 50 years of collaborative work with Miyake, Kitamura creates an encyclopedic reference of his material and technical innovations through the clothes based on A Piece of Cloth concept, Body Series of the 1980s, Miyake Pleats series, and such practical, everyday designs as Pleats Please pieces.

Stunning photographs capture his clothes in their particular quotidian originality. In her far-reaching essay, meanwhile, leading cultural figure Kazuko Koike offers both a complete chronology of Miyake's work, and an unprecedented personal profile, looking at the ambition and inspirations that have driven his repertoire from tender teenage years. A must-have for designers, students, and fashion devotees, this is a timeless tribute to one of the most innovative makers of our age.

Review Quotes

"A spectacular retrospective."-- "GQ"

"TASCHEN dedicates a magnificent book to Miyake that not only recounts his life, but also celebrates his work, which has gone down in contemporary history."-- "Art"

"Issey Miyake's work is so complex that it's almost impossible to define. And this is precisely what TASCHEN aims to achieve with a new volume dedicated to the designer's career."-- "D di Repubblica"

"Presents Miyake's collections with encyclopedic rigor and includes gorgeous campaign shots by lifelong collaborators such as Yuriko Takagi and Irving Penn."-- "Harper's Bazaar"

"The book shines in the philosophy and joyous ideas that Miyake has left us."-- "Arte"

"...a definitive timeline of Japanese designer Issey Miyake's impressive life and work."-- "Grazia"

"A beautiful illustrated book."-- "South China Morning Post"

"A brilliant book about Issey Miyake shows the work of a man and his vision of making the world more beautiful and more meaningful... Take a look at this captivating book - and you'll be amazed."-- "n-tv"

"A deep-dive into the materials and techniques at the heart of Miyake's first successes, long before the creation of the famed Miyake Design Studio."-- "La Fashionerie"

"A must have for all fashion lovers, students and designers."-- "GQ"

"A richly illustrated encyclopedia of Miyake's bold vision and technical innovations, which have given life to mesmerizing pieces."-- "Marie Claire"

"In 448 colourful pages, the definitive tome on a fashion legend."-- "Robb Report"

"No one wrinkled more beautifully than Issey Miyake. An illustrated book shows how intensively the Japanese fashion designer dealt with textile research, fabrics, structures and techniques."-- "Welt am Sonntag"

"The book by Midori Kitamura and Kazuko Koike is dedicated to the designer's life's work, from grandiose silhouettes to technical innovations."-- "Neue Zürcher Zeitung"

"The clear message is the most successful: Issey Miyake's motto. TASCHEN is publishing an illustrated book about him."-- "Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung"

"The encyclopedic collection of photos from museum exhibitions, runway shows, concept drawings and campaigns is proof of Miyake's devotion to texture and capacity for constant experimentation."-- "T: The New York Times Style Magazine"

"The perfect epithet for the enduring impact of his liberating, illuminating garments on the world of fashion."-- "AnOther"

"I believe there is hope in design. Design evokes surprise and joy in people."-- "Issey Miyake"

"Issey Miyake loved to tell stories visually. This new book creates the most complete, and up-to-date picture of his life and work."-- "Midori Kitamura"