Two Issey Miyake Knit Tops, Early 1980s

Alicia Simeran was born in Mendoza, in the heart of Argentina’s wine country. While attending Catholic school, Alicia’s mother helped her construct a dress of her own design. Upon seeing this creation, Alicia was instantly sent home by the principal for the risqué look. A love for the daring was instilled in her from that moment on. She came to the United States as a young woman with her husband, raised her family, and created a new life in Chicago. Alicia began working for Missoni, at the legendary department store Bonwit Teller. She broke the rules by wearing pantsuits, when the dress code requirement for women was skirts only. Once again, Alicia was sent home to change. Alicia later discovered the fashion emporium, Ultimo, a boutique that was known for outfitting Chicago’s dangerously chic. The boutique spoke her love of avant-garde design and provided her with just the palate she had longed for. Alicia relied on the legendary boutique for nearly thirty years, as it offered the unique and daring garments she cherished. Alicia Simeran was truly an expert curator of fine things, and Hindman Auctions is proud to showcase her impressive collection of advanced designer clothing that includes some of the most sought-after brands in the fashion world.

The inimitable, sculptural creations of Issey Miyake (1938-2022) bridge the gap between the gallery, runway, and street. Born and raised in Hiroshima, Miyake survived the atomic bombing at age 7 with a permanent limp, and soon after lost his mother to radiation poisoning. He became an advocate for nuclear disarmament in his later life. From a young age, Miyake was drawn to create and believed strongly in the interconnectedness of the arts. As far back as 1960, Miyake campaigned that clothing deserves appreciation for its design in the same way as architecture or furniture. After graduating from Tokyo’s Tama Art University in 1964 with a degree in graphic design, Miyake worked in Paris and New York under designers including Hubert de Givenchy and Geoffrey Beene. In 1971, he founded his eponymous design studio. Almost immediately, Miyake was lauded as a luminary. His work was soon everywhere from the cover of Artforum to the dancers of the Frankfurt Ballet.
Behind this success was his innovative approach of clothing the body as a singular entity, greater than the sum of its parts. His creations were simultaneously artful and no-fuss, leaving both their sculptural silhouettes and their wearers unhindered by fastenings or defined waistlines. Though his designs are commonly interpreted as avant-garde or abstract, Miyake cited his greatest influence as the natural human form and sought to create clothing as wearable as jeans and T-shirts. In fact, it was Miyake who designed Steve Jobs’s signature turtlenecks, which he favored for their modularity and ease. In 1988, Miyake began to explore pleating–– perhaps the technique for which he is best remembered–– and in 1993 launched the wildly popular Pleats Please line. He developed experimental methods of fabric manipulation, mixing industrial techniques such as heat-setting with traditional craft to produce wholly unique textures as practical and durable as they are beautiful. In 1998, Miyake began A-POC, or “a piece of cloth,” a project to create garments cut from a single tube of jersey, creating almost zero waste. Miyake’s contributions to the arts are innumerable, though he viewed his own work with remarkable humility. He was a founding director of 21_21 DESIGN SIGHT, Japan’s first design museum, and was himself honored in exhibitions everywhere from the Museum of Modern Art to Tokyo’s Folk Craft Museum. A creator in the truest sense, Issey Miyake forever transformed the possibilities of what clothing can be.

THE FIRST
Long sleeve, oversized, knit sweater in bicolor wool-blend with horizontal pattern detail.
Label: Issey Miyake
Size: Medium
Date: Early 1980s
Country of Origin: Japan

Approximate Measurements:
Chest: 42"
Shoulders: 20"
Sleeve Length from Center Back Neckline: 31"
Length from Center Back Neckline: 34"

THE SECOND
Long sleeve, button-front, layered sweater in black wool blend with blue/multicolor intarsia detailing at interior.
Label: Issey Miyake
Size: Medium
Date: Early 1980s
Country of Origin: Japan

Approximate Measurements:
Chest: 50"
Shoulders: 19"
Sleeve Length from Center Back Neckline: 33"
Length from Center Back Neckline: 33"

Property From the Personal Wardrobe of Alicia Simeran

This lot is located in Chicago.