When legendary Japanese designer, Issey Miyake, passed away on 5, August 2022 — following a prolonged battle with liver cancer — the world lost a titan of fashion innovation and a man who guided technical brilliance with an artist’s hand.

His innovative creations were often formed through trial-and-error experimentations, resulting in him developing an archive of shape-shifting clothes that transcended trends and gender norms to become seminal forms of inspiration for his peers. In the 80s, he showed fellow Japanese fashion icons Rei Kawakubo and Yohji Yamamoto how to enter the Western market, and today, Miyake’s works are just as integral to the fashion industry as they were in the decades gone by — and have become pieces of art that are revered, collected, and worn by archivists and fashion obsessives alike.

As the fashion industry mourns the Japanese designer’s passing, we reflect on the impact of his pioneering, genre-crossing career.

Born in 1938 in the Hiroshima prefecture, he studied graphic design at the Tama Art University in Tokyo before moving to Paris to pursue fashion in the tailoring and dressmaking school, École de la Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne. This formative education led Miyake to work for Guy Laroche, Hubert de Givenchy, and Geoffrey Beene, before founding the eponymous Miyake Design Studio in 1970, which has served as the foundation for his creations for the past 52 years.

From then on, his career took off in a big way. His designs challenged the conventional idea of garment making, highlighting the relationship between body and cloth, and creating pieces that convey emotions and ideas that stem from the avant-garde. His study of experimentation with new and existing techniques led to the creation of new fabrics, forms of clothing and technologies by which to make them. While learning to harness and refine some of the cutting-edge synthetic technologies of the time, Miyake also visited historic production regions and worked to revitalise traditional dyeing and production that were on the verge of extinction, finding new uses for traditional methods that could respond to modern needs. He received worldwide acclaim for trying to incorporate modern technology with traditional techniques that offered excellent functionality but were seen as outdated, such as sashiko embroidery and leg-guard gaiters.

“Never one to embrace trends, Miyake’s dynamic spirit was driven by a relentless curiosity and desire to convey joy through a medium of design.” the Japanese fashion house said. “Always a pioneer, Miyake both embraced traditional handcrafts but also looked to the next solution: the newest technology driven by research and development.”

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This mindset and dedication to innovation lead to one of his biggest feat: Pleats, Please. Miyake was best known for experimenting with different creation techniques of handcrafting throughout his career — he was the first designer to apply pleats after the fabric is cut and sewn, going against the traditional method of pleating first, and made a name for himself from the offset of creating clothing from “a Piece of Cloth” with just one thread. In the late 1980s, he explored a new way of micropleating by wrapping fabrics between layers of paper and heat-pressing them and in 1993, the Pleats Please line was launched and then shown on the catwalk during the Spring Summer 1994 Paris collection. This industrial process proved to be revolutionary as he experimented with creating different effects and architectural shapes. The clothes’ simple beauty, comfort, lightness and ease of care changed the way individuals all over the world dress, and soon he became synonymous with Japanese fashion and its economic prowess.

“Issey Miyake was a pioneer on two fronts,” said Alexander Fury, menswear critic at the Financial Times and fashion features director at Another Magazine. “Firstly as one of the first wave of Japanese designers to bring new perspectives and philosophies on fashion to Paris; and secondly as a pioneer in textiles with ideas such as Pleats Please and APOC—ideas that actually exist outside of fashion, transforming not only what people wear but how they interact with their garments. Miyake’s true importance lies in the fact that he wasn’t interested in fashion as such—rather a philosophy of clothing, systems of dressing and above all freedom of the body.”

His designs were also heavily influenced by his life experiences. He was only seven years old when the atomic bomb hit his hometown of Hiroshima. Writing in the New York Times in 2009, Miyake explained how he turned these traumas into creativity: “I have tried, albeit unsuccessfully, to put them behind me, preferring to think of things that can be created, not destroyed, and that bring beauty and joy. I gravitated toward the field of clothing design, partly because it is a creative format that is modern and optimistic.”

This positive outlook notably translated through his fashions, via a constant willingness to grow and challenge himself. In Setsuko Miura’s 2002 documentary Issey Miyake: Moves, the designer discusses his processes, noting that “design stems from reflecting on and challenging the times we live in.” He later asks, “Why bother designing unless you have a unique point of view?” In the 1980s – arguably the height of Miyake’s career – he began to experiment with new ways to pleat and fold fabrics in his now-signature approach. Through a method that saw fabric placed between paper and heat pressed, the clothing was able to hold its intriguing boxy shapes for a lifetime – a detail that has now become as famous as the designer himself. 

Despite the end result often being minimal and refined, the concepts behind Miyake’s clothing always came from a more avant-garde perspective. His conceptual works were often displayed on dancers, which as Pen states, shows how he is “both functional and elegant, all while remaining abstract and intellectual, the fact of which allows him to let his imagination run wild.”

Clothing was a commentary on what he saw around him – Kimonos and traditional Tanzen coats were displayed throughout his career, but particularly for Fall Winter 1977, which saw Miyake play with fabrics that were almost forgotten in Japanese culture, using them to create his interpretation of everyday clothing. 

Today, not only does his legacy live on, but it continues to go from strength to strength. His passing has sent ripples through all corners of the creative industries, with many taking to social media to share their condolences and anecdotes.

With every turn Issey Miyake takes in the world of fashion, he values free thinking that is unconventional, thinking that takes into consideration the spirit of creation, curiosity and love as universal expression.

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Streetwear is more than just a style. It is a cultural movement weaved together with fashion, music, art and pop culture. It did not just dabble in the styles of pop culture but thoroughly turned over the idea of what was considered fashionable. To the same degree as hip-hop and art were pushing boundaries in their respective worlds, street style is also transforming the fashion industry. Many luxury labels are drawn to the unique style and are being influenced by this phenomenal movement of streetwear culture.

The appealing factor about streetwear is in the looks being so adaptive that practically anyone could get hooked on it. The ease of streetwear as everyday wear is so accessible around the globe that it has become a mainstay trend that is hard to ignore.

The Versatility of Streetwear

There is no one true definition of streetwear as it is an evolving culture due to the active exploration and experimentation within the community. This results in a streetwear wardrobe that is so varied and some Italian fashion brands, that embodies streetwear culture, are prime examples. They offer a plethora of ready-to-wear apparels such as coats and straight-cut chinos to accessories like beanies and sneakers. These pieces effortlessly fit into any wardrobe with an endless possibility of mixing-and-matching and is highly adaptable to the wearer’s taste, interests and occasions.

With streetwear being such an accessible style, its community tends to be reactive to trends and the versatile wardrobe can be easily utilised to interpret the style, sometimes even to the extent of forming new fashion statement. After all, streetwear is about the mix-and-match of various pieces or brands (not necessarily big names or high fashion) and cultures that collectively reflect one’s interests and perhaps loyalty. The versatility of streetwear makes the style so translatable that it has become fashion’s mainstay.

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Streetwear Is a Style for All Ages

Digging deeper into the intriguing streetwear community, you will find that it consistently ignites energy, positivity, and shared values of how the culture is transmitted.

Across decades of the persistent style, modern streetwear still sport the same essential ease and comfort albeit with more prints and logos. In fact, Generation X and Millennials can easily spot familiar pieces that make up the modern streetwear wardrobe, like the windbreakers, oversized shirts, and baggy, waist-high trousers.

While the modern streetwear wardrobe encompasses many sneakers and graphic clothing, often designed to sport a “vintage” look, the style is truly relevant across all ages. Terms like “dad sneakers” is essentially trainers and chunky shoes that make up the modern streetwear wardrobe. Streetwear does not conform to just the youth movement, but instead it also includes members of the earlier youth movement with the “borrowing” and “cross-referencing” of the “past” streetwear wardrobe. The ability of streetwear to be able to cut across the ages reflects its persistence style.

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Streetwear Is an Extension of Comfort

While dressing up tends to draw an impression of being uncomfortable, streetwear has managed to unite the opposing of style and comfort, and make it stick. Key streetwear items like an oversized shirt or overcoat is a simple layering piece to throw over an easy T-shirt and jeans combination to elevate an otherwise casual look. To take it to another level, a luxurious satin bomber jacket or an slightly-oversized blazer could also make easy options.

Comfort does not only end at the pieces on the torso but extends to the feet as well. In streetwear, shoes often complete the outfit.

Interestingly, the comfort of sneakers are so universal that parents are also dressing their young children in kids sneakers. These young children would be growing up and into streetwear, and it would be to say that the persistence of streetwear still has a long road ahead.

The consumers ultimately hold the power to determine what is “cool” and comfortable to wear. While significant trends, like the democratisation of fashion, have drove the acceleration in streetwear uptake, tastemakers are not only following the path of the style that comes from trends but they are also reflecting on their culture and community. This consistent dialogue between people and culture will continue being the driving force behind the persistence of streetwear.

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As our world keeps changing around us, so does the fashion calendar. For decades, the traditional seasonal calendar has served the industry well. Designers put their Spring Summer collections on the catwalk in September, and then showcase an Autumn Winter drop six months later, but those days are long gone. A much-needed reset of the fashion industry is something that has been highlighted during the past few years. And whilst we have previously discussed the jump to virtual fashion and the effects on traditions like street style, it seems that another tradition of the industry has come under scrutiny — the outdated fashion seasons.

Despite being motivated by creativity, the fashion industry is rather traditional in terms of business. As a result, it was considered inventive when particular designers began breaching the norms and showcasing their range between the two established seasons. These were known as pre-collections and were often the ready-to-wear selection for a designer before the debut of the more exclusive items.

Once the concept was shown to work, everyone came on board, so much so that the fashion season now consists of four main units: Pre-Spring, Spring Summer, Pre-Fall, and Fall Winter; with brands finding the opportunity to highlight and organise pieces from the two pre-collections into themed wardrobes called “capsule collections”.

How Fashion is Targeting the Travel Rebound

Dating back more than 100 years, early Cruise or Resort collections were just that — special capsules produced by designers and released between the main collections to cater to wealthy customers that travel. However, as the cost of international travel fell, middle and upper-middle classes began taking trips of their own and these niche lines not only became more popular amongst consumers but also allowed fashion houses huge commercial benefits.

“You don’t relate to seasons, you don’t relate to fashion shows, you relate to a spirit of mind.” said luxury correspondent Tamison O’Connor “It’s really attractive for the true luxury customer who sees these items as a fun way to accessorise a holiday, but it’s also an entry point for more aspirational and younger consumers,” she continues.

After a year of cancelled trips and staying home, travelling and vacation dressing is witnessing a resurgence like no other. Consumers are looking for clothing to enhance their travel experience and set a vacation state of mind. “What we’ve been hearing from our customers is that she’s thinking of getting away this summer and is eager to buy beachwear and getaway clothes that are fashionable and fun,” emphasised Anu Narayanan, the chief merchandising officer of Anthropologie.

A current holiday wardrobe is no longer solely consisting of swimwear and a cover-up, but encompasses a head-to-toe ensemble. What’s more, shoppers are looking to resortwear that can tell a story — about a brand, a place, or its creator. For example, Jacquemus’ 23-piece capsule collection for Spring 2023 was a tribute to the Sun & Sea art installation by Rugile Barzdziukaite, Vaiva Grainythe and Lina Lapelyte and the work of photographer Massimo Vitali. The beach-themed collection was exclusively released in partnership with Net-A-porter and included summer staples of well-loved Jacquemus designs rendered in his signature, soft-coloured colorways. With cropped linen-blend tops and mint green bucket hats, they picked up on opportunities to engage consumers by building a buzz with the release while staying relevant and affordable with younger consumers.

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Jacquemus isn’t the only luxury player betting big on vacation dressing. On March 2022, Dior have teamed up with “Parley for the Oceans” to unveil the new season of its “Beachwear Capsule” line. Dior’s mission for the house is to become more eco-innovative and sustainable, and with Parley’s stance against major ocean threats, the two brands have created a collection that comprises a colour palette of blue packable jackets and ochre poplin pants, with some items carrying the “Dior Oblique” pattern, incorporating Parley Ocean Plastic created from up-cycled marine plastic debris and recovered fishing gear. Not only did they capitalise on the current trend of vacation dressing, but they’ve managed to leverage its roots as a label for fashionable, eco-conscious jet-setters, just in time for a post-pandemic vacation surge.

Altogether, this means that as demand for the evolving resort category grows, it is critical for brands and designers to adjust their assortments in order to cater to consumers’ new expectations of the category. To that end, brands have designed collections that extend beyond beachwear and summery themed collections.

“There’s pent up demand,” said chief executive of Mytheresa, Michael Kliger. “It’s just much more than beach and swimwear. It’s catering to consumers all-year round.”

The Diverse Range of Vacation-Themed Capsules

With winter holidays becoming a more common occurrence, it seems obvious for fashion houses to cater to colder-climate vacations. During the 2000s, brands realised the opportunity to sell garments all-year round, thus Luxury ski-wear was born. Luxury fashion houses such as Coco Chanel, Christian Dior and Prada started designing more winter capsules specifically for ski vacations. It continues today as the rise of social media sees more influencers and celebrities flaunt their holiday outfits. Throughout the 2010s, the Kardashian-Jenner family posted pictures of them skiing on their social media accounts and in the 2020s, models like the Hadid sisters influenced people to buy and wear luxury ski gear.

In present time, Fendi recently released their new Winter Sports capsule collection, featuring sustainable tech-wear along with bags and winter accessories. Winter hues like cold grey, white, baby and ice blue were strewn across the highly technical wardrobe, strongly linking back to the aesthetics of the Roman fashion house.

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Similarly, hiking-themed capsule collections have emerged from mega fashion houses like Loewe. Taking on the great outdoor adventure, they’ve collaborated with performance brand On for a limited-edition capsule collection housing shoes and apparel for the modern adventurer. Focusing on craftsmanship, they reimagined long-established craft skills, applying the handmade to technical pieces. The ready-to-wear pieces sport a unique blend of performance properties and fashionable design aspects. Perfect for the individual who seek a holiday centered around the outdoors.

All in all, vacation dressing has become significant to brands. The increase in consumer demand for destination wear is fuelled by the enticing idea of holidays as an escape from routine and a chance to have new experiences. Shoppers are constantly on the look out for outfits that enhance their travel experience, and with this new trend of vacation-themed capsule collections, brands are able to showcase their creativity in design while selling their garments all-year round. It is no doubt that in time, holiday capsules are going to come back bigger than ever.

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When a fashion house is as emblematic as that of Dior, its design can translate into almost any medium and still be irrevocably noticeable. Proving this in the form of yet another innovative collaboration, Kim Jones, Dior Men’s artistic director, has announced the start of a collaboration with racing video game, Gran Turismo 7 at the World Series Showdown in Szalburg, Austria.

As Dior’s first digital campaign, the collaboration will feature new and exclusive Dior racing gear that can be applied to a player’s driver avatar. By combining the house signatures with traditional racing motifs, Dior presents a new skin that sees the playable driver decked in a yellow and grey overall that’s paired with driving gloves, a set of race-inspired Diorizon sneakers, and a helmet finished in a blue and grey colorway. The overalls are kitted out with the Dior oblique on the top chest panel while Christian Dior Atelier and the “CD” logo come in the form of sponsor-esque patches on the same panel. Tying the whole collaboration together, the number “47” — a nod to the house’s first and formative fashion show in 1947 — is embellished within the racer’s silhouette and across the bonnet of the car, a vintage De Tomaso Mangusta in a creamy golden tone.

The inaugural virtual capsule is set to be released on 25 August — available exclusively on PlayStation 4 and PS5 consoles. “This dialogue between Dior and the world of video games is a renewed invitation to push back the limits of creativity and imagination,” Jones said in a press release. His designs, both in the collection’s clothing and customised car, demonstrate this luxe look. Racing has never looked so refined.

The collaboration sees Dior joining the likes of luxury fashion brands such as Balenciaga, Burberry, Valentino, and Prada. All the listed brands have ventured into the virtual world through collaborations with well-known, popular games. Balenciaga not only unveiled their Autumn Winter 2021 collection through an interactive online video game, but also collaborated with popular video game, Fortnite. Similarly, Valentino tapped on the then-viral Nintendo Switch life simulation game, Animal Crossing, to raise awareness of their Spring Summer 2020 and Pre-Fall 2020 collection. Burberry looked to the East and exclusively designed two outfits for Honour of King’s popular heroine Yao, and Prada joined forces with Ubisoft on a one-of-a-kind project that incorporates Prada Linea Rossa into Riders Republic, a massive multi-player outdoor sports playground where you can experience the thrill of outdoor sports in the magnificent American National Parks.

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Fashion’s desire to cash in on the gaming phenomena is understandable. Worth $159.3 billion, the e-sports and gaming market had 2.7 billion players by the end of 2020 — with the figure expected to rise to 3.07 billion in 2023 — resulting in fashion’s hottest playground and tapping into the endless creative and business opportunities it offers. Erin Wayne, head of community and creator marketing at Twitch, told Nylon, “Fashion working with gaming is the next obvious step in the evolution of fashion.”

Throughout the world, gamers and e-sports fans have revealed themselves to be beauty and fashion consumers eager to spend both in-game and on real-life products. This is, in part, due to an extraordinary demographic shift: As of 2021, 54% of women prefer to play mobile games and 65% are more likely to make an in-app purchase, buying virtual currency or avatar outfits. In this new landscape, brands are now looking for opportunities to capitalise on the gaming audience through e-commerce.

“We firmly believe that games and interactive initiatives have a business relevance. They are key to offering an innovative and personalised shopping experience, which is what customers, millennials and gen-Z in particular are increasingly asking for.” said Paolo Mascio, president of Yoox.

With the global pandemic resulting in increased gaming activity, we can understand that fashion brands (hit hard by store closures and unsold stock) have been open to integrating games. While 2021 has proven the incredible success of these partnerships, it has also opened new arrays of monetisation for brands and is changing the traditional forms of e-commerce. Given that gaming giants also massively benefit from the cultural relevance and revenue generated from these lucrative integrations, it’s a win for both worlds — and a trend that looks set to continue in the future.

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For the last three centuries, high heels have been widely regarded as a women’s style. Seen everywhere from runways to daily work attire, adding a few inches to a woman’s height is often considered the key to tying an ensemble together. They’re beloved for their leg-lengthening effects, high-fashion implications and general elegance. However, as designers continue to blend menswear and womenswear, the gendered lines around clothing and accessories have lightened in their severity. More and more men have been spotted sporting the lifted shoe. By adopting footwear that has become such an iconic representation of feminine fashion, their choice is often dubbed “ground-breaking” or “gender bending”. But funnily enough, the origination of high heels began specifically for men.

The earliest known style of heels date back to the 15th century, when Persian soldiers wore heeled boots to help keep their feet in their stirrups as they rode on horseback. Then, during the 17th century, King Louis XIV wore red heels to symbolise his power and wrote an edict stating that only nobility could wear heels. Acting as a symbol for status, power, and military prowess, heels were a common occurrence for men up until the late 1700s, when it fell out of fashion — and was adopted mainly by women.

The Chelsea Boots

It wasn’t until the 1960s when the Beatles popularised the “Beatle Boots” — an early iteration of Chelsea boots — that the heel were re-invited into menswear. Featuring an inverted, round heel called the Cuban heel, there’s something undeniably cool and fresh about the boots. Having made a comeback in 2010, it’s now a mainstay of labels such as Gucci and Saint Laurent; the subtle lift gives even the most classic pair of jeans or suits a sleek, modern feel.

On top of this, the style has been a go-to for some of the most prolific well-dressed male celebrities, with Harry Styles, Luka Sabbat and Kanye West following in the footsteps of Mick Jagger and Prince with their Chelsea boots. It’s become so popular that brands have employed them as part of their menswear collections, eventually infiltrating the streetwear scene.

Some of the most well-thought-of luxury sneakers now tend to add an extra inch, Cuban heels are being adopted by more and more labels, and then there’s the new wave of ankle boots, with height not far off a woman’s high heel. Leading the trend is Maison Margiela, whose heeled Tabi boots have seen an increase in popularity in recent times. Other fashion house iterations of this particularly high boot include Random Identities‘ Vibram sole version and Gucci’s altogether more rock’n’roll offering, which has emerge at some of our favourite luxury retailers done out in all-over GG Supreme logo print and vibrant red patent leather.

Heels in Streetwear 

Having first emerged in January last year, heavy-duty lug-soles remain all the rage among the streetwear crowd. With Off-White, Bottega Veneta, and, of course, Dr.Martens fuelling the heeled-boot resurgence, we see them strutting down both the runway, and the sidewalk. 

French luxury house, Balenciaga currently sells a boot known as the Bulldozer. Its honking fang-like treads elevate the wearer inches off the ground. Similarly, Bottega Veneta peddles the Tire Boot, another heeled, Chelsea boot with an extremely large sole. Even Moncler has issued a series of menacing rubber boots that give the wearer an inch or two. In the streetwear scene, men’s fashion is undergoing a huge revival of the heeled boot. Practical, masculine and eye-catching, it remains a staple in wardrobes and runway collections. “People who are buying status footwear want to be recognisable,” said Bruce Pask, men’s fashion director at Neiman Marcus. “We’ve been moving in that direction of having more statement-making footwear. That means making bigger, higher and thicker shoes.” 

Additionally, elevated sneakers are making a similar comeback to the streetwear scene. “After a long stretch at the top of the leaderboard, normcore dad sneakers are giving way to cooler, platforms.” said THE YES Creative Director, Taylor Tomasi Hill. For example, Alexander McQueen’s Chunky Sole Sneakers revamps the classic sneaker look into one that screams loud and confident. 

Platform Heels

Diverging from the low Cuban heels in the 70s, Bowie and his stage persona, Ziggy Stardust, gravitated towards bold platforms, stilettos, or generally higher heels — all of which were, at the time, synonymous with women’s fashion. While subcultures like drag queen communities and ballroom culture during this time had already normalised men wearing heels and other traditionally feminine garments, Bowie’s look brought gender subversive fashion to the mainstream.

Now, brands such as Rick Owens, Marc Jacobs and Brooklyn-based footwear label, Syro, are embracing the staggering heels. Offering a range of designs — from Rick Owen’s iconic Grilled platforms to Rombaut’s sneakers-inspired stilettos, they’re a walking example of how the fashion industry is pivoting towards inclusivity and genderless fashion. “When I strut down the street in my heels, every part of my being feels right.” Shaobo Han, co-founder of Syro stated. “Wearing heels allows me to connect and embrace my femininity and explore the limits of fashion. I don’t believe that heels should have a gender, it belongs to everyone.”

The platform heels have also been popular amongst fashion influencers. Stylist and fashion content creator, Wisdom Kaye, is no stranger to a loud look and his Rick Owens have become a staple in his self-expression. Whether he’s donning a Thom Browne skirt or tapping into his David Bowie-esque energy, defying gender norms with garments has led him to his own aesthetic that has cultivated over 10 million followers on social media.

Similar to apparel, the declassification of heels as a “woman’s” shoe continues to unfold as clothing become less tied to one’s gender identity and sexuality. As men hit red carpets and magazine covers in gowns, there’s no reason they shouldn’t have a nice pair of heels to accompany them.

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