Little Book of Issey Miyake by Kati Chitrakorn (Hardback)
Steve Jobs's black turtleneck and Grace Jones's sculptural silhouettes came from the same studio. That is the shortest way to explain the range of Issey Miyake.
Kati Chitrakorn's Little Book of Issey Miyake sets out the foundations of his work, which were research, craftsmanship and relentless experimentation, and follows them through the collections that changed what clothing could be. The Pleats Please range sits at the centre: technologically advanced, deceptively simple, and rooted in couture while designed for everyone. Over 100 photographs accompany the text. For anyone drawn to Japanese design thinking, it makes a natural companion to the Japandi titles in our For the Minimalist collection. Is this a fashion book or a design book?
Both, genuinely. Miyake worked closer to industrial design than most couturiers, and the book gives real space to the material innovation behind the garments. It appeals well beyond a fashion readership. What size is it?
A 160-page hardback at roughly 186 x 128mm, matching the rest of the Little Books of Fashion series. The chartreuse cover is the most graphic in the range, which makes it useful as an accent piece as well as a read.
Give it to an architect, a designer, a maker, or the friend who wears the same three considered things on rotation and means it. It is also one of the more interesting fashion gifts for a man. See the full Little Book of Fashion Series for others in the set. Why You'll Love It
- 100 photographs covering the collections and the thinking behind them
- Serious on material innovation, not just the finished looks
- Covers Pleats Please, Bao Bao and the wider design legacy
- 160-page hardback in the collectible series format
- A rare fashion title that works as a design gift too Where It Lives Best
The chartreuse cover is a deliberate jolt against a muted room, so treat it as the colour moment on an otherwise restrained shelf. It works face out on a ledge, or flat on a console with a sculptural object beside it. In a studio or workspace it earns its place on a desk. the wider Books collection for design titles to shelve alongside it. The Takeaway
Little Book of Issey Miyake by Kati Chitrakorn is a 160-page hardback from Headline's Little Books of Fashion series, exploring the Japanese designer's technologically advanced yet deceptively simple work, from the Pleats Please range to Steve Jobs's black turtleneck, across more than 100 photographs. Available from Flux Boutique in Mount Maunganui with New Zealand-wide shipping.