Remembering Issey Miyake, Who Pushed Clothing to Groundbreaking New Places

Issey Miyake, the Japanese fashion designer and the founder of the namesake fashion brand, has died aged 84 years old. According to the Kyodo news agency, the late designer was battling a form of liver cancer and passed away on 5 August.

Hiroshima-born Miyake leaves behind a legacy that most fashion designers can only dream of. He studied graphic design at Tama Art University in Tokyo, before moving to Paris in 1965 to study at the École de la Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne. In Paris he began to work with Guy Laroche, Hubert de Givenchy, and Geoffrey Beene, before launching his own label in 1973. Miyake built a globally-recognized fashion brand, which got the nod from Apple mastermind Steve Jobs, who favored its iconic turtleneck sweaters; Robin Williams, who famously sported one of the label’s bomber jackets to the Flubber premiere in 1997; Grace Jones; and more recently, contemporary figures like actor Steven Yeun and F1 star Lewis Hamilton. Read more at GQ.