Der bekannte Modedesigner Issey Miyake studierte bis 1963 Grafikdesign an der Tama Art University in Tokio. 1970 gründete er das Miyake Design Studio in Tokio. In den späten 80er Jahren begann er seine Experimente mit Plisseefalten und entwickelte eine neue Methode des Kleiderpressens. Die revolutionäre Kollektion Pleats Please wurde 1993 gelauncht. Nach der Übergabe der Verantwortung für die Herren- und Damenkollektion an seine Designer widmete sich Miyake seiner Ausstellungshalle 21_21 DESIGN SIGHT, die 2007 in Tokio eröffnet wurde. 2010 präsentierte er die neue, innovative Modelinie '132 5 Issey Miyake'. Deren Konzept wurde zur Leuchtenserie 'IN-EI ISSEY MIYAKE' weiterentwickelt, die 2012 vorgestellt wurde. The ultimate Issey Miyake monograph§§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 ancient Japanese lore, abstract art, modern technology, and everyday function.§§This definitive history of Miyake's clothes coincides with a major exhibit at The National Art Center, Tokyo and offers unparallelled insight into the designer's vision and daring. It 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 world-renowned Miyake Design Studio. Tracing his progression through the wrapped garments of the 1980s, the Pleats Please pieces, and such practical, every-day designs as Steve Jobs' famous turtleneck 'uniform', one discovers a compelling monument to Miyake's singular blend of tradition, futurism, and function which remains highly wearable, while forever defying predictability.§§Stunning photographs from Miyake's friend and contemporary Yuriko Takagi capture the clothes in their particular quotidien originality, including a breathtaking shoot in Iceland. 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 mesmerizing 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.§