7 Issey Miyake Moments That Prove His Design Legacy Is Everlasting

One of the most recognisable Issey Miyake house codes today is the pleated fabrication. In the late '80s, he began experimenting with new methods of pleating, and in 1993, the Pleats Please line was launched, showing officially during the Spring/Summer 1994 season.

Here, a masterfully-crafted 1994 Issey Miyake "Flying Saucer" dress on display at the press preview for the Costume Institute's annual exhibition "About Time: Fashion and Duration."

Known for his advanced fabric techniques, Miyake expanded on the notion of body moulding, developing a series of metallic breastplates. These were made of moulded fibre-reinforced plastic, as shown here in an image from Miyake's runway show in Autumn/Winter 1985/86.

Speaking of Jones, the music legend is one of the biggest collectors of Miyake. Her expansive collection is evidence of the beautiful working relationship and friendship between the two creatives. From modelling in his earlier shows, to wearing his creations on stage and in music videos, she organically personified the essence of the Miyake woman.

Initially wanting to pursue dance, Issey Miyake was always inspired by the art of movement and the way fabric swayed with the wearer. This love for dance and movement was a consistent theme throughout all his work.

Miyake even made custom pieces for William Forsythe's Frankfurt Ballet Company in 1991, which later, through research and development, led to the creation of Pleats Please a few years later.

He placed Black models front and centre in the '80s and '90s, following his revolutionary 1976 runway show "Issey Miyake and Twelve Black Girls," which featured Grace Jones.