Two Issey Miyake Items: One Ensemble, 1975, One Kaftan, 1984

This lot includes one caftan and one ensemble.

Issey Miyake (Japanese, 1938-2022) is memorialized for groundbreaking technological innovations in contemporary fashion, rooted in traditional craft, and creating a wearable avant-garde in pursuit of the modern. Miyake gained experience in the American ready-to-wear industry in the 1960s, but returned to Japan where he embraced and created the rising momentum of Japanese fashion globally. He began showing in Paris in 1973, among the earliest of the Japanese avant-gardists to break into the European fashion establishment. By the 1980s, Miyake's name became synonymous with innovation and freedom, establishing proprietary fabrications and construction techniques, including heat-set micropleats and garments created from A Piece of Cloth (APOC). The designer created an ethos over six decades, which situated fashion within an integrated schema of design, "a wearable operating system, built to sit between the body and the wider world."  

This lot includes early pieces that embody Issey Miyake's philosophy: androgyny in the form of wide-fitting jumpsuits, technological innovation in multidirectional micro pleats, and the primordial simplicity of clothing made from a single piece of cloth. Delicate but never fussy, constructed but not constricting, these early garments establish a precedent for an expanded vocabulary of fashion in Miyake's own visual language.

THE FIRST
Red cotton jacket with brown cotton lining, mandarin collar, set in long sleeves, single patch pocket, and open front; paired with matching reversible wrap skirt and red cotton pants.
Label: Issey Miyake
Size Label: Skirt, M/ Pants, 8
Style/Serial No.: Jacket, C34105/ Skirt, C54055/ Pants, C41065
Retail Label: Neiman-Marcus, The Trophy Room  

Approximate Measurements:
JACKET
Shoulders: 19.5"
Chest: 41.25"
Waist: 40.75"
Hips: 41.75"
Length (high shoulder point to hem): 25.25"
Sleeve (center back neck to hem): 26.5"

SKIRT
Waist: 32"
Hips: 38.75"
Length (side waist band to hem): 27.5"

PANTS
Waist: 26"
Hips: 34.75"
Length (side waist band to hem): 41"
Inseam: 30"

THE SECOND
Dual grey striped silk caftan with crew neckline, kimono sleeves, two side slit pockets, and single top button.
Label: Issey Miyake
Size Label: S
Style/Serial No.: ES25064

Approximate Measurements:
Shoulders: 18"
Chest: 53"
Waist: 53"
Hips: 53"
Length (high shoulder point to hem): 45.5"
Sleeve (center back neck to hem): 30.25"

Condition: THE FIRSTThe overall condition is very good with no visible issues.THE SECONDThe overall condition is very good with only minor piling throughout the ensemble. Everything is sold 'As Is'. The stated overall condition of the lot is based on the assumption that the wear is consistent with age and use. The absence of any reference to the condition of a lot does not imply that the lot is in perfect condition or completely free from wear and tear, imperfections, or the effects of aging. All other condition issues are stated above. To request additional working condition photos, please email us with the lot number. Condition is a matter of opinion of the evaluator and should not be treated as a statement of fact. Clients must review and agree to the Conditions of Sale before participating in an auction.