Skirt And Top, 132 5. Issey Miyake

“Regeneration” and “recycling” are key words to describe Japanese fashion designer Issey Miyake’s recent project, 132 5. Issey Miyake, a series of garments made from a single piece of folded cloth. “Regeneration” and “recycling” refer to both the recycled PET products used to make the polyester fabric for the garments and to the design’s evolution from previous projects: his 1998 A-POC (A Piece of Cloth), represented in the museum’s collection, and the legendary Pleats Please, developed by Miyake since 1988.
Miyake developed 132 5. with Reality Lab, a research and development team led by Miyake and staff members who wanted to explore the future of making things—from clothing to industrial products. According to Miyake, “132 5. begins with one piece of cloth manipulated through three-dimensional molding that can be returned to a two-dimensional plane and creates a fifth dimension when the garment is worn and comes to life.” The shapes were conceived in collaboration with computer scientist, Jun Mitani, a researcher of mathematical methods for creating three-dimensional structures through paper folding.
132 5. has 10 basic patterns, or folded forms; these become blouses, skirts, pants, and dresses when the top of the folded square is pulled upwards. Variations of the garments are created by adjusting the size, combination of shapes, and the cut of the pattern.
Miyake’s philosophy has always been about keeping clothes relevant and celebrating the process by which clothes are made. Often, this process pushes the technological envelope for textile mills. At the heart of all his projects, however, is an incorporation of centuries-old textile traditions from Japan or other parts of the world. This is why Miyake’s works transcend fashion and are so appropriate for Cooper-Hewitt’s textile collection, which strives to include the most innovative examples of design. Two sets of four outfits are proposed for acquisition. These were chosen by Issey Miyake to reflect the story of the 132 5. collection. One set would be used to show the garments folded while the second set would be shown on mannequins.

Skirt And Top, 132 5. Issey Miyake; Designed by Issey Miyake (Japanese, b. 1935); Japan; polyester from recycled pet bottles; H x W (skirt w/o tabs): 101.6 x 101.6 cm (40 x 40 in.) H x W (top w/o tabs): 29.8 x 60 cm (11 3/4 x 23 5/8 in.); Gift of Miyake Design Studio; 2014-26-1-a,b