Issey Miyake's sense of joy
Issey Miyake's planning has always been linked to the world of design. His own fashion, far from the logic of seasonal trends, which has always been, instead, a more in-depth study on the form, on the function, on the "Ma", the Japanese philosophical (and aesthetic) concept that considers emptiness as a space between two elements. In Miyake's case, that space is represented by what is between the body and the dress you are wearing. At the origins of the dress there is the simple act of covering oneself with a fabric cutout, but also an inclination to decorate oneself, to express oneself. "When we get dressed we have a primitive, instinctive sense of happiness," begins Satoshi Kondo , who made his debut as creative director of Issey Miyake last September in Paris. Born in Kyoto thirty-five years ago, the son of a sewing teacher, he joined Issey Miyake in 2007, after graduating in fashion design from Ueda College in Osaka. He started working in the Pleats Please Issey Miyake team , of which he later became brand designer.
Four years ago he was appointed designer of the Homme Plissé Issey Miyake line . And the same year he was involved in the Ikko Tanaka Issey Miyake line project, which saw the creation of a collection with prints by the famous graphic designer. In 2017 he also joined the Miyake Design Studio. For the S / S 2020 it started from the tradition-innovation dichotomy typical of the brand, bringing to the stage, in the artistic-cultural space Le Centquatre-Paris, an imaginative show where the clothes literally swooped down from above, floating, with the tops that adhered perfectly around a circle, which as if by magic, dropped on each model, dressed her without any effort, entitled "A sense of Joy".
What was the starting idea of the collection?
I started from the concept of nudity, physical and mental, necessary precisely for the need to dress. The design of most of the looks of the S / S 2020 is very simple and during the show it was as if the fabrics danced on the bodies of the models. As the fashion show went on, the clothes became more complex and the complexity was recreated through the addition of layers of fabric and color.
"A sense of joy", the title of the collection, is an expression of pure optimism ... Why did you choose to title the first chapter of your creative journey in this way?
I am convinced that there is a need to maintain a sense of joy in what we do. We often forget about the power of clothes, which is precisely this: to instill a sense of joy in people. To give a little happiness. And only with a positive spirit is it possible to embrace the future and all that awaits us.
Some of the hats worn by the models during the parade recalled the ceremonial headdresses of the Japanese rural communities. What was the reason for this choice?
The hats were part of the scenography. To create them I used washi, a type of Japanese paper, certified and protected by UNESCO and I modeled it to take the shape of a headdress, without the need for seams. All I needed was a rectangular piece of paper that took the shape of a dome. The fabrics and design were deliberately simple to give the impression of a body wrapped in a piece of fabric and the hair design followed the same rule. Traditionally, the hair used by the rural communities we were inspired by was made of bamboo.
How does the culture of your country influence your work as a designer?
It is not my intention to create something Japanese, but I want to work with local companies. Tradition and its respect is part of life in general and it is impossible to imagine building a future without the foundations of the past. It is important for me to be inspired by something that exists, with the intention of innovating it and making it modern.
The show was conceived as a choreography by Daniel Ezralow, not only with dancing models, but also on skateboards, as if to emphasize aerodynamics and movement ...
I started from the idea of freedom that people should experience wearing a dress. I wanted the show to be colorful and inclusive and with Daniel Ezralow I worked on this concept by showing him some sketches that represented what I had in mind.
Minimal, creative and ... What would you add if you had to describe Issey Miyake?
I would say playful. A word that refers to the design process behind a collection. I like to think that the environment in which I work and the way I interact with my team is "playful".
Issey Miyake was one of the very first designers to think in terms of sustainability by imagining "A Piece of Cloth", a production process that uses entire tubular fabrics that are cut without wasting even an inch of fabric. What is your approach to sustainability?
Create clothes that can last over time. And focus on the longevity of a boss.
