. Miyake was best known for experimenting with different creation techniques of handcrafting throughout his career — he was the first designer to apply pleats after the fabric is cut and sewn, going against the traditional method of pleating first, and made a name for himself from the offset of creating clothing from “a Piece of Cloth” with just one thread.
This positive outlook notably translated through his fashions, via a constant willingness to grow and challenge himself. In Setsuko Miura’s, the designer discusses his processes, noting that “design stems from reflecting on and challenging the times we live in.” He later asks, “Why bother designing unless you have a unique point of view?” In the 1980s – arguably the height of Miyake’s career – he began to experiment with new ways to pleat and fold fabrics in his now-signature approach.