Satoshi Kondo

Issey Miyake has always been synonymous with remarkable pieces that emphasise movement of the body and playfulness of colour. This season the house brought us a spectacular collection by the newly appointed designer director, Satoshi Kondo. Kondo evoked a youthful and dramatic impression with a palette of almost every colour imaginable; each pigment muted or strengthened and mixed in a brilliant progression. He had always been interested in Issey Miyake’s work and started his course with Issey Miyake Inc, in 2007, fresh out of the Ueda College of Fashion in Tokyo. He began as a designer for Pleats Please Issey Miyake and later for Homme Plissé Issey Miyake. Preserving the Miyake tradition, continual use of the company's fabric innovation Dough Dough, a stiff yet malleable material that was debuted for SS19, was used throughout the SS20 collection. This time with bolder patterns and exaggerated silhouettes. He stepped up for SS20 show with undeniable motion, making his mark with his interpretation of the soughtafter luxury brand. We had the chance to correspond with Kondo on this season’s collection.

You joined Issey Miyake Inc. in 2007, was your aesthetic within the Miyake realm when you graduated school? I knew and was interested in Issey Miyake's work when I was in college, and started to learn more about him making things after I joined the company. The symbiosis between flexibility and structure is continuous throughout all the Issey Miyake house’s lines. Has this always been key in your mindset in relation to design? No, not really. What I am interested in as the designer of Issey Miyake is to work with the fundamental concept of "A Piece of Cloth" conceived by Issey Miyake, and to explore the relationship between the body and the clothes. You may choose to wear a piece because of the comfort and ease you feel in it, or because of the beauty you find in its form. To me, function and aesthetics of clothes are related to the space between the body and the clothes. Did you think back in 2007 that you would be the Creative Director. Was it a hope, dream, or both? No, I did not have such an idea. Are fashion trends in regards to retail and sustainability methods important with each collection? No, I don't think so. When I design a collection, I usually start with a narrative that I want to tell, as I believe that is the key to a coherent collection. As we develop the collection, I speak to other sections in our brand to hear ideas from different perspectives. To me, this exchange of ideas between design team and other sections is crucial in order to put together a collection that relates to the time we live in. What sustainability methods are implemented in the production of Issey Miyake garments? It has always been our company's policy to find creative design approach that contributes to a sustainable environment. As a designer, I am drawn to design with minimal cutting and simple construction. This design approach often leads to saving fabric. For example, in the SS20 collection there are clothes designed to fold, drape, or wrap around the body. They utilise the full length and width of the fabrics without leaving scraps. Your debut collection was very fresh and colourful. A sort of youthful resurgence happened at this show, with the dancing and skateboarding, and colour palette. Would you like to captivate a younger audience moving forward?

The theme of the SS20 collection was the joy you feel when you wear clothes. To that end, I designed clothes of bright colors that move along with the body#—#sway, bounce, or extend#—#which are the qualities associated more with younger generations. Also, the way we presented the show with live music and choreographed performance seemed to have captured an uplifting mood with a refreshing vibe, which may be something that speaks more to people of younger generations. Who and/or what are you inspired by generally? I used to travel overseas quite often where I found inspirations as I visited different places. Recently as a way to relax, I would listen to music or go to exhibitions. I believe that the source of inspirations is the experiences of doing the things I enjoy. What was your inspiration behind this collection? With the SS20 collection, A Sense of Joy, I wanted to express the simple joy and happiness that you feel when you put on clothes. As I started putting together the story of my first collection for Issey Miyake, I had an idea of allowing ourselves to be naked for once, in a literal and a conceptual sense, and from there we begin to wrap ourselves with a piece of cloth#—#an act that is intuitive and fundamental. “A Piece of Cloth” is also one of the basic concepts of Issey Miyake. Your work on the Ikko Tanaka collaborations are very inspiring, will we be seeing another with him? Yes. Ikko Tanaka Issey Miyake will continue. Have you implemented any new methods in regard to the textiles and construction for this collection? If so, could you explain a little? The fabric of AIR series (the part of the show where models unzipped their hoodies, spun their dresses, and skateboarded in jumpsuits) uses Dobby weave woven from a very fine yarn. The waffle-like structure of Dobby weave gives the lightweight nylon fabric an airy texture and allows it to