Issey Miyake brings his revolutionary piece of cloth to Tokyo, 1999
It is rehearsal day for Japanese designer Issey Miyake and the 61-year-old fashion innovator is pumped. This is his first Tokyo fashion show in five years and he's keen to share his new concept in DIY clothing: 'A revolutionary idea called A-POC' – an abbreviation of A Piece of Cloth – writes Tamsan Blanchard in the Observer Magazine on 25 April 1999. 'He has not been so excited about one of his own products since Pleats Please was launched in 1993.'
For Miyake's Paris show the previous autumn, an A-POC – a single strip of fabric – was 'transformed into a capsule wardrobe before our very eyes,' gasps Blanchard. 'Lengths of white fabric were laid out on the floor and a small team of assistants set to work with their scissors. A snip here, a snip there and voilà! A pair of knickers… More scissor work and there was a bra top.' A skirt, hat, socks and more besides followed: one piece of fabric, one capsule wardrobe. The message: yes, you can try this at home!
'I'm not interested in selling myself,' Miyake confides, adding that he sometimes observes his customers in the Pleats Please store on London's Brook Street. They are nice people, 'ordinary'. For his part, 'I never tried to be like a superstar or a famous designer. The only thing I wanted was to be very proud of what I'm doing.'
He wasn't proud of himself back when 'his clothes were beginning to look more at home in a textiles gallery than on the woman in the street'. Following one Paris show, he realised he'd forgotten the importance of everyday life, so he got himself a rucksack, some underwear and a toothbrush and went to Greece. He hand-washed the underwear, took stock. Three years later, in 1988, functional, affordable Pleats Please was born.
The A-POC retails in the UK for £470. Too high, and Miyake knows it. Fashion victims are not his target market. 'I'm not interested in high-maintenance women who take one hour for hair, one hour to dress, one hour for makeup. Disaster!'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
an hour ago
- Daily Mirror
M*A*S*H stars pay heartfelt tribute to Loretta Swit after TV star's death
Stars of the iconic TV show M*A*S*H including Alan Alda paid tribute to Loretta Swit after news confirmed the TV star had died at the age of 87 Following news of Loretta Swit's death, tributes have poured in from her co-stars of the iconic TV show M*A*S*H. Leading the tributes was Alan Alda, who played her love interest Hawkeye Pierce. Loretta became a fan favourite for playing Margaret 'Hot Lips' Houlihan. Taking to X to pay his heartfelt respects, Alan, who is now 89 years of age wrote: "Loretta was a supremely talented actor. She deserved all her 10 EMMY nominations and her 2 wins. But more than acting her part, she created it." He added: "She worked hard in showing the writing staff how they could turn the character from a one-joke sexist stereotype into a real person -- with real feelings and ambitions. Alan continued: "We celebrated the day the script came out listing her character not as Hot Lips, but as Margaret. Loretta made the most of her time here." In 1983, their 35 second on-screen kiss became one of the most legendary scenes in TV history as it was viewed by nearly 106 million people. Loretta's housekeeper reportedly found her dead at the star's New York apartment, according to US news outlet TMZ. And her publicist reportedly told the publication that she died from natural causes. However, an official cause of death is yet to be released. Next to share their grief with fans was Jamie Farr, who played Corporal Maxwell Q. Klinger. He once referred to the actress as his "adopted sister." In a statement released to USA Today, Jamie said: "I dearly loved Loretta! As close as family can get." The star added: "From the first time I met her, on what was supposed to be a one-day appearance on "M*A*S*H," we embraced each other. That became a lifetime friendship. I can't begin to express how much she will be missed." Meanwhile, Mike Farrell, who joined the cast in season four of eleven as B.J Hunnicutt, posted a black and white picture of Loretta on social media. He captioned the post simply saying: "Loretta … 1937-2025." In response to Alan Alda's post on X, fans rushed to comment. One person wrote: "It's because of you guys I became a nurse and learned that showing your human to your patients isn't a bad thing." They added: "Thanks, to both of you. My most sincere condolences." Another person said: "She held her own with you guys in a time where that was not always easy. Helped create on of the greatest shows of all time. Rest in peace."
Daily Mail
4 hours ago
- Daily Mail
RiRi sizzles in one of her own bikinis during photo shoot
Rihanna looked sensational in a red-print bra and panty set from her Savage X Fenty range. The singer, 37 is pregnant with her third child with her partner A$AP Rocky, 36, and she deftly posed to hide any glimpse of her bump during the photo shoot. She revealed she was expecting her third child with A$AP when she debuted her baby bump at the Met Gala in early May. Rihanna - who shares sons RZA, two, and Riot, 21 months, with A$AP - has been busy exploring the sights of Cannes with the rapper recently. Earlier this month, Rihanna insisted her new album won't be delayed too much by her pregnancy. Speaking to Entertainment Tonight, the singer was asked if the album - which has been dubbed 'R9' - will be 'put on pause even longer'. She insisted: 'No, maybe a couple of videos.' Fans have been waiting nine years for the follow-up to 2016's Anti, but Rihanna has assured them that her plans are still in place. Rihanna also revealed she isn't 'too overwhelmed' by her pregnancy, although there was some initial shock. She added: 'I'm good! I'm shockingly feeling ok, and not too overwhelmed at the moment.' While details on her new album are few and far between, Rihanna recently offered a teaser of what fans can expect. She told Harper's BAZAAR magazine in February: 'I've been in the studio the whole eight years. But it didn't hit me. I was searching for it. 'I went through phases of what I wanted to do. ''This kind of album, not that album''. I know it's not going to be anything that anybody expects. 'And it's not going to be commercial or radio, digestible. It's going to be where my artistry deserves to be right now. I feel like I've finally cracked it, girl!' Rihanna insisted there was 'no genre' for the album, and she has been determined to make the next batch of songs something 'matching [her] evolution.' This summer Rihanna serves as a voice actor and producer for The Smurfs, a film based on the loveable blue characters. Rhianna plays the iconic Smurfette in the upcoming movie. She dropped a new song Friend of Mine this week, the first from the soundtrack to the movie. Friend Of Mine debuted at No. 72 on the singles charts, a disappointing start for the singer's first new song in nine years. Rihanna hasn't seen a track of hers peak that low in almost a decade. The last time it did, was in March 2106 when Consideration, her collab with SZA debuted at number 88.
NBC News
10 hours ago
- NBC News
Loretta Swit dies at age 87
Emmy Award-winner Loretta Swit, best known for her role as Major Margaret "Hotlips" Houlihan on the hit series "M*A*S*H*", died in New York City at age 31, 2025
