Remembering Issey Miyake

MR. ISSEY MIYAKE

It is with great sadness that The Shelter acknowledges the death of fashion great, Issey Miyake. A legacy that spanned over 50 years, he was a humble icon in our times whose fusion of tradition and technology has created a potent legacy. Miyake's pieces are multifaceted and celebrate movement, energy and infectious joy.

His ideologies centered around the idea of 'humanness'. Viewing clothing as a part of the human experience, he took inspiration from the body to interpret its movements, form, and structure in order to be in harmony with our bodies. Wearing his clothing was aimed to discover a lack of bodily constraint, and in turn, he hoped to discover a lack of creative inhibitions.

A pioneer on many fronts, all stemming from “a piece of cloth”. A-POC started in 1998, one of his most futuristic offshoots, it is still iconic today. He is also renowned for his memorable method of pleating. Mastering and forever evolving a complex process of "garment pleating" which he had patented, involved pleating the fabric as garments after it had been cut and sewn together.

As Mr. Miyake is mourned all around the world, it should also be seen as a celebration of one of our greatest creators, who has inspired and transformed fashion in so many ways. It is a huge loss to the industry.

Here at The Shelter, the iconic 132 5 collection was always a focus of Mr Miyake’s. The 132 5 brand refers to the way a piece of cloth (“1D”) takes on a three-dimensional shape (“3D”) and is then folded into a flat surface (“2D”), and the way that wearing it transforms it into a presence that transcends time and dimensions (“5D”). Crafted in recycled Polyester, the brand brings this together with the production principles of “Regeneration and Re-creation”

The loss of a true master - and what a body of work for us all to reflect upon. We are truly honoured to hold a piece of his legacy and memory in our store.