’The most accurate reference guide to the work of Issey Miyake,‘ is how Midori Kitamura, chairman of the Miyake Design Studio, describes an expansive new tome that traverses more than 70 years of the experimental Japanese label and its eponymous founder, who died aged 84 in 2022.
Titled Issey Miyake: 1960 – 2022 (released 5 April 2024, available for pre-order, £80, at Waterstones), the Taschen-published tome is a visually rich catalogue of Miyake’s collections, which are largely defined by material innovation – such as his signature polyester micro-pleats – and colourful, expressive silhouettes that verge on sculpture. As such, the book features imagery from some of the period’s definitive photographers, including Yuriko Takagi and Irving Penn – the latter responsible for some of the most enduring imagery of Miyake’s early collections.
