Two Issey Miyake Items: One Ensemble, 1975, One Kaftan, 1984

This lot includes one caftan and one ensemble.

Issey Miyake (Japanese, 1938-2022) is memorialized for groundbreaking technological innovations in contemporary fashion, rooted in traditional craft, and creating a wearable avant-garde in pursuit of the modern. Miyake gained experience in the American ready-to-wear industry in the 1960s, but returned to Japan where he embraced and created the rising momentum of Japanese fashion globally. He began showing in Paris in 1973, among the earliest of the Japanese avant-gardists to break into the European fashion establishment. By the 1980s, Miyake’s name became synonymous with innovation and freedom, establishing proprietary fabrications and construction techniques, including heat-set micropleats and garments created from A Piece of Cloth (APOC). The designer created an ethos over six decades, which situated fashion within an integrated schema of design, “a wearable operating system, built to sit between the body and the wider world.”

This lot includes early pieces that embody Issey Miyake's philosophy: androgyny in the form of wide-fitting jumpsuits, technological innovation in multidirectional micro pleats, and the primordial simplicity of clothing made from a single piece of cloth. Delicate but never fussy, constructed but not constricting, these early garments establish a precedent for an expanded vocabulary of fashion in Miyake’s own visual language.

THE FIRST
Red cotton jacket with brown cotton lining, mandarin collar, set in long sleeves, single patch pocket, and open front; paired with matching reversible wrap skirt and red cotton pants.
Label: Issey Miyake
Size Label: Skirt, M/ Pants, 8
Style/Serial No.: Jacket, C34105/ Skirt, C54055/ Pants, C41065
Retail Label: Neiman-Marcus, The Trophy Room

Approximate Measurements:
JACKET
Shoulders: 19.5"
Chest: 41.25"
Waist: 40.75"
Hips: 41.75"
Length (high shoulder point to hem): 25.25"
Sleeve (center back neck to hem): 26.5"

SKIRT
Waist: 32"
Hips: 38.75"
Length (side waist band to hem): 27.5"

PANTS
Waist: 26"
Hips: 34.75"
Length (side waist band to hem): 41"
Inseam: 30"

THE SECOND
Dual grey striped silk caftan with crew neckline, kimono sleeves, two side slit pockets, and single top button.
Label: Issey Miyake
Size Label: S
Style/Serial No.: ES25064

Approximate Measurements:
Shoulders: 18"
Chest: 53"
Waist: 53"
Hips: 53"
Length (high shoulder point to hem): 45.5"
Sleeve (center back neck to hem): 30.25"

Property from the Collection of the North Coast College

Condition:

THE FIRST
The overall condition is very good with no visible issues.

THE SECOND
The overall condition is very good with only minor piling throughout the ensemble.

Everything is sold 'As Is’. The stated overall condition of the lot is based on the assumption that the wear is consistent with age and use. The absence of any reference to the condition of a lot does not imply that the lot is in perfect condition or completely free from wear and tear, imperfections, or the effects of aging. All other condition issues are stated above. To request additional working condition photos, please email us with the lot number. Condition is a matter of opinion of the evaluator and should not be treated as a statement of fact. Clients must review and agree to the Conditions of Sale before participating in an auction.

The physical condition of lots in our auctions can vary due to age, normal wear and tear, previous damage, and restoration/repair. All lots are sold "AS IS," in the condition they are in at the time of the auction, and we and the seller make no representation or warranty and assume no liability of any kind as to a lot's condition. Any reference to condition in a catalogue description or a condition report shall not amount to a full accounting of condition. Condition reports prepared by Freeman's staff are provided as a convenience and may be requested from the Department prior to bidding.

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Please email [email protected] for any additional information or questions you may have regarding this lot.

To request further details about this lot, please email [email protected]

Timothy Long

Director, Senior Specialist, Couture & Luxury Accessories

[email protected]312.334.4222

Mr. Long has nearly 20 years of experience as a curator of fashion and decorative arts in museums including the Museum of London, the Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York, and the Chicago History Museum. At Hindman, he works with individual clients, collectors, dealers, and museums to bring to auction collections of couture and luxury accessories. Mr. Long’s recent publications include Charles James: Designer in Detail and a chapter on the same designer in London Couture: British Luxury 1923–1975, both published by V&A Publishing.

Please email [email protected] for any additional information or questions you may have regarding this lot.

Fall Fashion & Accessories

Two Issey Miyake Items: One Ensemble, 1975, One Kaftan, 1984

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