News has just broken that revolutionary Japanese designer Issey Miyake has sadly died of liver cancer in a hospital in Tokyo at the age of 84.

As a child, Miyake had dreams of becoming a dancer, however he went on to study graphic design at the Tama Art University in Tokyo before moving into clothing design, where he worked with famed designers Guy Laroche and Hubert de Givenchy before founding the Miyake Design Studio in 1970.

Fashion designer Issey Miyake dies at age 84https://t.co/tqM3Afw6EY pic.twitter.com/eaPhgOunj3

— The Japan News (@The_Japan_News) August 9, 2022

Synonymous with his extraordinary, abstract pleats, Miyake’s approach to fabric and shape was rooted in experimentation and innovation. While uncompromisingly futuristic, the designer always designed with the body in mind, sculpting boundary-pushing silhouettes using materials as disparate as washi paper, horsehair and raffia.

Known for designing Steve Jobs’ iconic turtle neck jumpers, Miyake’s work is perhaps most famously documented via the designer’s long-term collaborative relationship with US photographer Irving Penn, who captured Miyake’s collections across ad campaigns and published editorials throughout the 90s.

More information to come.