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There’s a reason rapper Jay-Z
included the lyrics “Girls don’t diss me
when I’m wearing the Issey” in one of his tunes—Issey Miyake is among the world’s
most influential fashion designers. The mere mention of his name in a popular song is proof that the success of Miyake’s eponymous apparel and fragrance lines has spilled over into other industries. But could this Hiroshima-born designer be too good? In 2007’s The Bourne Ultimatum, Matt Damon, the film’s lead, had to wear the Issey Miyake sweater he donned throughout the movie inside out because it was deemed too fashionable! |
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Perhaps more impressive than the
clothing label itself is the fact that
Comme des Garçons founder
Rei Kawakubo
has never been formally
trained in fashion design—an anomaly in
the world of high
fashion! But what she lacks in training
Rei more than makes up for in creativity
and style. Her Spring ’08 runway was marked
by a mishmash of brilliant colors, textures,
and silhouettes, with models sporting
faces painted
up like geishas. |
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It’s nearly impossible to step foot into
a department store or perfumery
without falling head over heels for an
intoxicating Kenzo fragrance (we’re enamored with Kenzo Amour), and if you’re lucky enough to visit one of the dozen or so retailers in the U.S. that sells it, you’re sure to fall in love with the clothing line as well. The internationally-renowned fashion guru started making garments out of scraps of fabric from flea markets, mixing bold patterns and colors together to make one piece. This same outrageously bold style remains his signature. |
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Yohji Yamamoto’s signature looks
are typically characterized by whatever is
not a trend in fashion. When other
designers show body-conscious frocks and
suits,Yamamoto features loose, drapey looks that conceal rather than accentuate the body. And don’t expect to see colorful flowers and pastels for spring from this highly-acclaimed designer—he works with one color, and it’s usually black. For Spring ’08, however, he incorporated a confident floral-and-dragon print, both popular influences from his native Japan. |
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