Issey Miyake was born in Hiroshima in 1938 and witnessed the atomic bombing of the city in 1945. As a child he wanted to become a dancer. After graphic design and fashion studies in Tokyo he moved to Paris where he worked with Guy LarocheGuy Laroche (1921-1989) was a French fashion designer and founder of the eponymous line. He began his career in millinery and opened his first high fashion atelier in 1956. His style was one of vibrant, well combined colors and careful craftsmanship, a marker of Haute Couture. In life, Laroche was known for his humility and grace, as opposed to the extravagant ways of other designers of the time. Apart from creating practical fashion, Laroche has launched a series of perfumes such as “Fidji” and “Drakkar”. and Hubert de GivenchyHubert James Taffin de Givenchy was born in 1927 into a family with aristocratic and artistic origins. After studies at the École des beaux-arts, he started working for Pierre Balmain, Christian Dior and the Avant Garde designer Elsa Schiaparelli. He opened his own design house in 1952, being the youngest in Paris’ progressive fashion scene. His first line was one of cheap fabrics but it stood out thanks to his innovative approach in design.
Givenchy, the creator of the iconic “Balloon Coat” and the “Baby Doll” dress, was also known for his famous clients, which included Ingrid Bergman, Marlen Dietrich, Greta Garbo, Grace Kelly, Jaqueline Kennedy Onassis and Sophia Loren
. Upon his return to Japan in the 1970s he founded the Miyake Studio. It was there, during the 1980s, that Miyake started experimenting in new forms of pleating which resulted in the Pleats Please line. Miyake made his work available to dancers as he felt that the flexibility of his materials met with their need for freedom of movement.
Steve Jobs’ famous turtlenecks are the work of Issey Miyake who was famously quoted saying “Design is not for Philosophy; it is for Life”.
Rayon, of which this cardigan is woven, is a synthetic fiber made from various components of regenerated cellulose, being more biodegradable than cotton. There have recently been concerns about the link between rayon production and deforestation. As a result, several nonprofits set up a global scoring platform (run by Canopy PlanetCanopy Planet is an organization working hand in hand with many large companies from the packaging, clothing and printing sectors. Some of its goals are developing pulp mills and transforming unsustainable rayon and viscose supply chains in order to control the destruction of endangered forests all over the world. Canopy Planet has several famous partners such as H&M, Zara and the fashion group LVMH. It also boasts turning “Harry Potter” into a “green” book. ) that aims at responsible rayon production.
BATTLEFIELD FASHION
Cardigans are garments, often knitted, with an open front, fastened by buttons or even a zipper. The cardigan owes its name to James Brudenell, 7th earl of Cardigan, the hero of the Charge of the Light Brigade during the Battle of Balaklava (1855) in the Crimean War. The Earl of Cardigan’s high popularity after the charge led to the establishment of the British military waistcoat in European Fashion. Supposedly, Brudenell invented the cardigan after noticing that the tails of his coat had been burned off in a fireplace. The cardigan has been in use as a less formal version of the waistcoat or vest preferred in more casual instances, especially those involving chilly weather.
Coco Chanel is credited for popularizing the cardigan for women as a piece of clothing that can be taken off without messing up the hairdo. The cardigan was very common in the college culture of the roaring 20’s and has met with numerous revivals ever since.