Latest news with #KazuyoSejima
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Entertainment
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Groundbreaking Fashions Focus of Tokyo Exhibition
— A virtual fashion museum owned by one of Japan's most influential vintage stores is venturing into the physical realm with a new exhibit. The exhibition features groundbreaking looks from a variety of Japanese and international designers, spanning the 1970s through to the 2000s. More from WWD Tender Store Owner Cheryl Daskas Dies at 71 Kate Middleton's Trooping the Colour Outfits Through the Years: Seeing Pink in Alexander McQueen and More Looks Julien's Auctions to Offer Key Menswear Pieces From Celebrities, Designers The brainchild of buyer and curator Hideo Hashiura of the vintage store Laila, La Museum opened as a virtual fashion archive in July 2024. It staged a small, one-day exhibit at a forest villa in Nagano prefecture in May, thanks to a proposal by the well-known architect Kazuyo Sejima of SANAA, which designed the striking building. The museum's latest exhibit is its first to last multiple days and to tell a visual story of a particular period in fashion history. La Museum Shibuya opens Saturday for a two-week period in the basement of a nondescript office building just steps from one of Tokyo's most bustling neighborhoods. The building's demolition is scheduled to begin at the end of the month, and so Hashiura and his team were given free reign over the space. 'We have been running the virtual museum for almost a year and have done a couple of exhibits on the history of fashion design,' Hashiura said. 'But to really understand the detail and the design, the most important thing is to be able to see the clothes up close, as well as at eye level. If you're looking up at the clothes, you miss the full picture.' The Shibuya exhibit by La Museum is broken into five sections. Each has its own theme, but all of the mannequins are arranged at floor level, with visitors invited to move between and among them, providing a unique opportunity to see looks from all angles and just inches away. But still, Hashiura's dream is to bring people even closer to these archival looks. The exhibition catalogue. Courtesy photo. 'I would love to do an exhibit with 1,000 mannequins all lined up in long rows, and with 50 fitting rooms also in a row, and to invite people to actually try on the clothes. It's a fine line, because clothing is fragile and easily damaged by the oil on our fingers, perspiration and just general use, but also fashion is a product. It's not art — it's meant to be worn,' Hashiura said. La Museum's collection consists of about 7,000 pieces, all of which are by designers and brands that Hashiura and his team source for the Laila stores. The first Laila location opened in 2002, and it quickly became an arbiter of Japanese vintage culture for its rare, hard-to-find runway pieces. The exhibit at La Museum Shibuya features around 50 looks from La Museum's online exhibit '1950s-2010s Part 2 History of Modern Fashion Design,' which opened in March and continues to run concurrently. Pieces from Issey Miyake, Yohji Yamamoto, Comme des Garçons, Kenzo and Kansai Yamamoto are displayed alongside designs by Alexander McQueen, Helmut Lang, John Galliano and Vivienne Westwood. Another section focuses on the Antwerp Six designers, while a Martin Margiela trench coat with a long tail stands before a photo installation by Maison Martin Margiela, which was only shown once before, at the Grand Palais in Paris in 2006. On another wall in the space are projected images by photographer and editor Shoichi Aoki, known for his work on the Japanese street-style magazines Street, Fruits and Tune. Screened from an old-school slide projector, the photos were captured in Paris on Oct. 19, 1989, documenting the runway and surrounding scenes of the Maison Martin Margiela spring 1990 collection. Next to this are seven mannequins dressed in looks from the same collection, using the same styling that was shown on the runway. Hashiura said despite the time and effort required to install and then uninstall a physical exhibition such as this one, he hopes to do others in the future if the opportunity arises. He continues to build La Museum's collection — he recently purchased about 20 pieces from Kerry Taylor Auctions in New York—and wants to share this with the public as much as possible. La Museum Shibuya runs from Saturday until June 29 in Tokyo, and is open to the public free of charge. Best of WWD Bottega Veneta Through the Years Chanel's Ambassadors Over The Years Ranking Fashion's Longest-serving Creative Directors
Yahoo
06-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Japanese firm famed for ‘sustainable' design receives top architecture honour
A Japanese architecture firm which has pioneered 'sustainable, user-centred design' has been awarded one of the world's highest honours for architecture. The Royal Institute of British Architects (Riba) has announced that SANAA, a collaborative practice of Japanese architects Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa, has received the 2025 Royal Gold Medal for architecture. The award, which is presented on behalf of the King, recognises their work which the Riba Honours Committee praised for shaping 'a universal language of architecture that resonates with people everywhere'. The architects said they were 'delighted and very honoured' to receive the honour, describing it as a 'very happy moment' for the firm. 'We have always believed that architecture can transform and repair environments, helping us to relate to our surroundings, nature and each other,' they added. 'Throughout our careers we have tried to make spaces that bring people together, inviting them to imagine new ways of living and learning collectively. 'Architecture is always teamwork, and we are very grateful to everyone that has given us opportunities to develop these ideas over the years, and to all those people that have worked tirelessly with us to realise them.' Their architectural projects have sprung up across the world from the New Museum in New York, distinctive for its stacked, cubic design, to the Rolex Learning Centre that 'flows' alongside the shores of Lake Geneva in Lausanne, Switzerland. The firm also created the Serpentine Gallery Pavilion in London, which features floating aluminium that is meant to drift 'freely between the trees like smoke'. Other notable works over the course of their nearly three-decade career include Dior Omotesando Store in Japan, the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art in Kanazawa, Japan, the Zollverein School of Design in Germany, the Louvre-Lens in France and Sydney Modern Museum in Australia. Riba president and chairman of the 2025 Riba Honours Committee, Muyiwa Oki, said: 'Exemplifying an unassuming yet impactful leadership in the evolving practice and theory of architecture, SANAA's designs demonstrate that architecture can balance functionality with profound elegance. 'True pioneers in the field, their unwavering commitment to sustainable, user-centred design has quietly blazed a trail for others, setting an inspiring standard for the future of our built environment. 'Showing remarkable clarity and consistency over the decades, their work serves as a lasting testament to the transformative power of architecture – to inspire joy, create a sense of belonging, and connect us to the environments we inhabit.' A public celebration will take place for SANAA in London on May 1.
Euronews
06-02-2025
- Business
- Euronews
Japanese studio SANAA honoured with RIBA Gold Medal for their ethereal, gravity-defying architecture
Japanese architectural firm SANAA, led by Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa, has been awarded the prestigious RIBA (Royal Institute of British Architects) Royal Gold Medal for Architecture. Renowned for their ethereal, lightweight designs, SANAA (founded in 1995) has spent the past three decades redefining the boundaries of space and structure, creating buildings that appear to defy gravity. Their projects are recognised for their extraordinary delicacy and minimalist approach - walls as thin as 16mm, steel beams as slender as 12mm, and concrete canopies that look like they could float away. RIBA's Gold Medal award, regarded as one of the most prestigious in the architectural field, adds to SANAA's impressive list of honours, including the 2010 Pritzker Architecture Prize, the 2022 Praemium Imperiale for architecture, and the 2025 Le Prix Charlotte Perriand. "Exemplifying an unassuming yet impactful leadership in the evolving practice and theory of architecture, SANAA's designs demonstrate that architecture can balance functionality with profound elegance," says RIBA President, Muyiwa Oki. He adds: "True pioneers in the field, their unwavering commitment to sustainable, user-centred design has quietly blazed a trail for others, setting an inspiring standard for the future of our built environment." SANAA's body of work includes the extraordinary Louvre Lens in northern France, a 360-metre-long, steel and glass art museum that shimmers on the horizon like a mirage, as well as the Rolex Learning Centre, located on the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology's campus. Other notable works over the course of their career include the Dior Omotesando Store in Japan (2003), featuring a transparent glass façade; the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art in Kanazawa, Japan (2004), the Zollverein School of Design in Germany (2006), the 2009 Serpentine Gallery Pavilion in London, Grace Farms in the USA (2015), and Sydney Modern in Australia (2022). Sejima (68) completed her master's degree in architecture in 1981 at Japan Women's University. After honing her skills under the mentorship of architect Toyo Ito, she set up her own firm, Kazuyo Sejima and Associates in 1987. Nishizawa (58), a talented young architect who had also worked with Ito, was among her earliest hires. The firm quickly gained traction, with Sejima earning the prestigious Young Architect of the Year award from the Japanese Institute of Architects in 1992. In 1995 the two architects joined forces to create SANAA, based in Tokyo. "We are delighted and very honoured to receive the Royal Gold Medal. We have always believed that architecture can transform and repair environments, helping us to relate to our surroundings, nature and each other," says Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa. "Throughout our careers we have tried to make spaces that bring people together, inviting them to imagine new ways of living and learning collectively. Architecture is always teamwork and we are very grateful to everyone that has given us opportunities to develop these ideas over the years." Sejima and Nishizawa will receive the award in a ceremony taking place in London on 1 May 2025.
The Independent
06-02-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Japanese firm famed for ‘sustainable' design receives top architecture honour
A Japanese architecture firm which has pioneered 'sustainable, user-centred design' has been awarded one of the world's highest honours for architecture. The Royal Institute of British Architects (Riba) has announced that SANAA, a collaborative practice of Japanese architects Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa, has received the 2025 Royal Gold Medal for architecture. The award, which is presented on behalf of the King, recognises their work which the Riba Honours Committee praised for shaping 'a universal language of architecture that resonates with people everywhere'. The architects said they were 'delighted and very honoured' to receive the honour, describing it as a 'very happy moment' for the firm. 'We have always believed that architecture can transform and repair environments, helping us to relate to our surroundings, nature and each other,' they added. 'Throughout our careers we have tried to make spaces that bring people together, inviting them to imagine new ways of living and learning collectively. ' Architecture is always teamwork, and we are very grateful to everyone that has given us opportunities to develop these ideas over the years, and to all those people that have worked tirelessly with us to realise them.' Their architectural projects have sprung up across the world from the New Museum in New York, distinctive for its stacked, cubic design, to the Rolex Learning Centre that 'flows' alongside the shores of Lake Geneva in Lausanne, Switzerland. The firm also created the Serpentine Gallery Pavilion in London, which features floating aluminium that is meant to drift 'freely between the trees like smoke'. Other notable works over the course of their nearly three-decade career include Dior Omotesando Store in Japan, the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art in Kanazawa, Japan, the Zollverein School of Design in Germany, the Louvre-Lens in France and Sydney Modern Museum in Australia. Riba president and chairman of the 2025 Riba Honours Committee, Muyiwa Oki, said: 'Exemplifying an unassuming yet impactful leadership in the evolving practice and theory of architecture, SANAA's designs demonstrate that architecture can balance functionality with profound elegance. 'True pioneers in the field, their unwavering commitment to sustainable, user-centred design has quietly blazed a trail for others, setting an inspiring standard for the future of our built environment. 'Showing remarkable clarity and consistency over the decades, their work serves as a lasting testament to the transformative power of architecture – to inspire joy, create a sense of belonging, and connect us to the environments we inhabit.' A public celebration will take place for SANAA in London on May 1.
Yahoo
06-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Japanese firm famed for ‘sustainable' design receives top architecture honour
A Japanese architecture firm which has pioneered 'sustainable, user-centred design' has been awarded one of the world's highest honours for architecture. The Royal Institute of British Architects (Riba) has announced that SANAA, a collaborative practice of Japanese architects Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa, has received the 2025 Royal Gold Medal for architecture. The award, which is presented on behalf of the King, recognises their work which the Riba Honours Committee praised for shaping 'a universal language of architecture that resonates with people everywhere'. The architects said they were 'delighted and very honoured' to receive the honour, describing it as a 'very happy moment' for the firm. 'We have always believed that architecture can transform and repair environments, helping us to relate to our surroundings, nature and each other,' they added. 'Throughout our careers we have tried to make spaces that bring people together, inviting them to imagine new ways of living and learning collectively. 'Architecture is always teamwork, and we are very grateful to everyone that has given us opportunities to develop these ideas over the years, and to all those people that have worked tirelessly with us to realise them.' Their architectural projects have sprung up across the world from the New Museum in New York, distinctive for its stacked, cubic design, to the Rolex Learning Centre that 'flows' alongside the shores of Lake Geneva in Lausanne, Switzerland. The firm also created the Serpentine Gallery Pavilion in London, which features floating aluminium that is meant to drift 'freely between the trees like smoke'. Other notable works over the course of their nearly three-decade career include Dior Omotesando Store in Japan, the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art in Kanazawa, Japan, the Zollverein School of Design in Germany, the Louvre-Lens in France and Sydney Modern Museum in Australia. Riba president and chairman of the 2025 Riba Honours Committee, Muyiwa Oki, said: 'Exemplifying an unassuming yet impactful leadership in the evolving practice and theory of architecture, SANAA's designs demonstrate that architecture can balance functionality with profound elegance. 'True pioneers in the field, their unwavering commitment to sustainable, user-centred design has quietly blazed a trail for others, setting an inspiring standard for the future of our built environment. 'Showing remarkable clarity and consistency over the decades, their work serves as a lasting testament to the transformative power of architecture – to inspire joy, create a sense of belonging, and connect us to the environments we inhabit.' A public celebration will take place for SANAA in London on May 1.
