isseymiyake

Issey Miyake: design is for life

25 March, 2023

Tribute to one of the last geniuses of fashion

Yesterday Miyake Studio released the news that the Japanese designer Issey Miyake has passed away.

Even though he chose fashion as the medium to express his creativity, calling him a fashion designer is quite limiting. Indeed, he was more than that: a survivor, inventor, and humanist who challenged dressmaking and the modern world. In just one word, he was an artist.

Born in 1938 in Hiroshima, his family was killed by the first atomic bomb when he was a child. But he didn’t talk about that. Instead, he preferred to look forward, focusing on what he could create. He spoke about it only in support of Barack Obama’s pledge for nuclear disarmament.





A trailblazer in Japanese design, he mixed easter and western elements, creating a new innovative style. His fluid modernity changed the vision of clothing. Furthermore, he launched the technologies that allowed him to make his innovative garments. He also pioneered his pleating technique.

“In the Eighties, Japanese fashion designers brought a new type of creativity; they brought something Europe didn’t have. There was a bit of a shock effect, but it probably helped the Europeans wake up to a new value.”

Issey Miyake

Issey Miyake: a revolutionary genius

His original idea is one piece of cloth: cutting garments from a single fabric, an exercise between material and form. He worked with the body in movement, fascinated by the space between the cloth and the body.

“I do not create a fashionable aesthetic. I create a style based on life.”

Issey Miyake
Issey Miyake

His style focused on functionality, utility, and comfort, creating a timeless aesthetic – a design for life.

The purpose – where I start – is the idea of use. It is not recycling, it’s reuse.

Issey Miyake

Miyake’s work was relentless research for the clothing of the future.

“I make clothing, and I don’t care about trendy things.”

Issey Miyake

There’s so much to say about his work. However, one thing contributed to making him an outstanding figure in the fashion universe: his humble mentoring. Under his banner, he helped launch and develop many brands, for instance, Plantation, Zucca and Tsumori Chisato, just to name a few we love. His sense of collaboration and togetherness was really unique.

A true revolutionary, one of the last geniuses of fashion.
Rest in peace.

The beauty of asymmetry, rooted in Japanese aesthetic

18 March, 2023

Understanding Japanese culture

Sakura

Here comes spring! After long gloomy weather, spring is finally here with us in Milano.
With some cherry blossoms, Milanese are having small aperitivo at the parks. I do love it.

In Japan, cherry blossoms are a national symbolic flower of the spring. We enjoy A LOT of cherry blossom viewing, called “hanami”, gathering together with family, friends, and colleagues under the trees. And we believe the best time for hanami is when the petals are fallen.

We also drink, but not as much fancy as the ones in Milano.

Japanese aesthetic

Japanese aesthetic

Wabi-Sabi

Wabi-Sabi is a traditional Japanese aesthetic worldview centred on the acceptance of imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete. It is usually found in nature.

Japanese people find the most beauty out of the fallen cherry blossoms, not the fully-blooming flowers. Why? Because the sakura’s fleeting and its fragile nature perfectly fits our Wabi-Sabi beauty.

The cherry blossoms last only a few weeks. If it rains and breezes, they only live for a couple of days. A very short life, but this imperfection is what is significant in our aesthetic culture.

Asymmetry

Rei Kawakubo, the founder of Comme des Garçons, often expresses her Wabi-Sabi aesthetic through her sense of design.
Many of her creative garments are unfinished and asymmetrical, which is the opposite of western standard beauty. She finds emptiness in her fashion and appreciates “absent” rather than “present”.

Today, we can find many pieces of asymmetrical garments. Asymmetry is not just cool, but it is somehow deep in itself. The style is undefined and neutral. It gives freedom of expression to anyone who wears it.

If you haven’t checked the oversized denim blouson by ZUCCa, please, take a look. We are always inviting you to enjoy asymmetric beauty as we appreciate it.

Because it is very unique.

*
A piece written by Kotono Sakai – a Japanese girl studying history and fashion at Cattolica university in Milan and interning for suite123

The Supima Cotton Pants

18 March, 2023

Perfection in design and quality

Today we introduce The Supima Cotton Pants – by Plantation, one of the most versatile items in our selection.

We tested this material a couple of seasons ago, and we were amazed by the pleasant feel on the skin, which you can understand only when you touch it. Also the design, which is a classic with an absolutely perfect fit! Indeed trousers with a perfect fit are hard to find. So both elements make this item really special. Moreover, those who had the chance to buy them were 100% satisfied, so we cannot miss them season after season.

The Supima Cotton Pants - Yellow
The Supima Cotton Pants – Yellow
by Plantation1982

Discover more about the Supima Pants

About the design
The cropped silhouette that falls straight makes it look neat without picking up the line of the foot. And the waist is fully elastic and comfortable to wear. Also, it also has a belt loop, making it easy to adjust the size around the waist. Two side slit pockets, and two patch pockets on the back.

About the material
98% cotton, 2% polyurethane. A high power, medium-thick stretch material made by weaving 100% Supima cotton with luxurious yarn, which gets combed and spun compactly. By taking the time and effort to finish it, it becomes a soft fabric with an elegant lustre like a silk blend.

The Supima Cotton Pants - White
The Supima Cotton Pants – White
by Plantation1982

About the colour
Available in two colours: off-white and yellow.
Yellow: it has a slightly bright tone that looks like a combination of beige and light yellow. It is a colour that makes you feel the spring mood.
Off-white: it blends well with bright spring and summer clothes. Also, it works well in combination with coloured tops.

Laundry
Hand washable, easy care.
You can wash this item by hand at home.

The Supima Cotton Pants are popular every season. Indeed, they make an outstanding performance regardless of the occasion or the item you’ll match.
A timeless and cool choice #formodernhumans

Drop us a message for any further info!

The Striped T-shirt

4 March, 2022

A classic with a twist

Today, we introduce one of our favourite items for the new Spring/Summer 22 season: The Striped T-Shirt.
By ZUCCa.

We still name items by the season, as is the convention. But of course, the garments we select do not have any expiry date. We will never stop saying this, it’s a fundamental concept. Indeed, we firmly believe that you/we have to wear the clothing we purchase as long as possible. For a lifetime, because that’s the purpose of buying quality pieces. Also, it’s not a marketing trend for us. In fact, we have repeated those words since our very first beginning about sixteen years ago. And it’s not about being ahead, but having a deep sense of value and respect for what we do.

For stripes lovers

This top is a real classic, and it’s made special by a unique design. Yes, you can find striped t-shirts, but it’s way more difficult to find a good design associated with them.

The Striped T-shirt
The Striped T-shirt – by ZUCCa

About the design
Made of Basque cotton material with a border that gives a little elasticity, this top has three-quarter sleeves and a boat neckline. The three-dimensional silhouette with a narrow hem pushes the seemingly simple cut-and-sew to the leading role. In other words, it’s a basic that stands out. Easy to wear, comfortable, and easy-care but really cool.

About the material
The material is a matte, striped Basque cotton, of an average thickness and slightly elasticized.

About the colour
Beige and black border, because we wanted to offer you something different. Moreover, it’s easy to mix and match.

Laundry: Hand washable
This item can be hand-washed at home.

Put on The Striped T-shirt, and you’ll get an extra dose of style right away.

We invite you to contact us for any further information, we are happy to assist you.

Making the point on style

11 March, 2023

Fashion design & why Japanese fashion

Making the point on style, analysing the international fashion panorama, helps answer the recurring question: why Japanese fashion?

What is our prerequisite

On an international basis, we look for brands who have something to say, present good design and express their vision consistently. And we keep in mind the shift brought in by the pandemic: going to the essence. So we put together a capsule selection of meaningful pieces.
“Less but better” means that there’s a reason for every garment we choose.

A glimpse on international fashion panorama

We are quite perplexed about the designers’ proposals we have seen lately. We noticed that many brands have lowered the bar offering poor quality and meaningless design, also labelled “sustainable.”

Although some brands show beautiful dreamy lines, these have no context in our lifestyle, at least for now. So, we’ll keep an eye on them.

The Italian situation, specifically, requires a deep analysis.
In short, after the demolition of Italian craftsmanship and after production was dislocated to other countries, Italian fashion is not at its best. Many brands have no soul or remain stagnant, offering no evolution. Those who thrive mainly sell the vision of a sexy woman that sounds too status quo.

A point on style - an image of Japanese style by Plantation1982
Plantation1982

What leaves us perplexed is the direction that some international brands, considered the cool ones, are pursuing. If they aim to design a modern style, they repurpose a Japanese aesthetic. And so, the Instagram images are beautiful, but when you analyze the clothing design, the patterns, you can see where the idea comes from. Brands from Italy, the U.K., or North Europe. They have a large following, but all reveal the same specific inputs.

By the way, what we find somehow interesting is that those brands sell even to Japanese stores. The Japanese buy their own aesthetic made by someone else.

The style point: why Japanese fashion?

However, Nippon offered a lot in terms of unconventional and advanced fashion design. The similarity we find among Italian and Japanese culture is the obsessive attention to detail and style. Although it’s ok to get inspiration, from Italian and European brands in general, we do not expect exactly the same Japanese shapes.

So, rather than choosing European brands featuring a Japanese mood, we take the original ones.

The Lambswool Sweater

17 March, 2023

November, temperatures are cooling down, and it’s time to introduce our new arrivals. A limited number of pieces selected with specific attention to quality and design, aiming to build a capsule wardrobe of timeless clothing. Indeed, that is the essence of a sustainable style.

Wool sweaters, with their masculine image and warm feel, represent a fascinating clothing item. The timeless identity is intrinsic and well represented by a good design choice.

We picked out this sweater from Zucca – we appreciate the meticulous sense of design that identifies Japanese designers. Details are many but always mixed with a good balance and unusual proportions.

This pull is both classic and modern at the same time. In fact, it is a modern revisitation of a classic piece. Nevertheless, you will never get tired of wearing it.

Discover The Lambswool Sweater

The Lambswool Sweater by Zucca
The Lambswool Sweater – ZUCCa

The material is soft lambswool – made in Japan.
The colour: a blueish green. A unique hue to enhance your wardrobe.

The design point: sophisticated but easy to wear.
It is oversized and has a voluminous feel, but its short length makes it look neat.
It features a ribbed round neckline, cuffs and hemline. And ribbed details along the sleeves too. Moreover, two crossing ribs point to the front and back of the garment.
The hemline is asymmetric, meaning that the front side is shorter than the back.
Two side slits give extra comfort to the movement of your body.

You will have no problem coordinating this item with the garments you already have.
The knit, which is a modern arrangement of the basic shape, goes well with any bottom. From elegant outfits to casual styles, you’ll make multiple combinations. Try it over a dress too, or pair it with jeans for a cool everyday style.

Think twice before you buy. More is not the answer, nor is disposable fashion.
Quality over quantity is the way, a value we embrace and want to share with you.