Yoshiyuki Miyamae’s technology-driven designs inspire a new era of made-in-Japan fashions.

Assuming the creative reins of a famed fashion house that has a clear and identifiable market signature is never an easy task — Think the House of Emanuel Ungaro, who has seen six designers come and go in six years. Nurturing and promoting from within, however, seems be a winning formula at Issey Miyake.

During the spring/summer 2012 (SS12) ready-to-wear season in Paris, we watched Yoshiyuki Miyamae ‘bloom’ into the role of head womenswear designer at the Japanese house, with a collection inspired by “Georgia O’Keeffe: One Hundred Flowers”. Miyamae worked alongside his predecessor, Dai Fujiwara, for five years before being appointed into his new role.

From precision tailoring to architectural silhouettes, Miyamae’s debut collection was exciting both conceptually and technically. Miyamae shed a unique light on Japanese artisanship by incorporating advanced weaving and tradition printing techniques into his SS12 designs. The Tokyo-native proved he had the ingenuity to excite the cult-like following of the Issey Miyake brand, while renewing the intrigue of fashions realized only by made-in-Japan technology.

With such a strong debut collection, industry insiders are eager to see what Miyamae will bring to the catwalk for autumn/winter 2012. Q+A UK learned that Miyamae’s second collection will be titled ‘Mineral Miracle’, taking inspiration from minerals and their secrets within.

In the midst of castings and final fittings, Miyamae manages to spare Q+A UK five minutes to talk about his core design values and collaborative creative process. Yet, he keeps us guessing as to what to expect from the show taking place at the famed Grand Palais this Sunday (March 4 at 3PM CET).

Q+A UK: Do you feel any pressure to top your highly acclaimed debut collection?
YOSHIYUKI MIYAMAE: Of course, there is always pressure to be as good as, if not better than the season before. We are continuing to experiment with new techniques, so we have some interesting ideas that you will see incorporated in the new autumn/winter 2012 collection.

Q+A UK: How would you describe your design signature for Issey Miyake?
MIYAMAE: It is too early to describe my signature style, as this is only my second mainline collection, but I would say that my desire, as designer of the Issey Miyake women’s collection, would be to capture the DNA of Issey Miyake whilst cultivating my own vision and moving it ever forward with fresh ideas and techniques, old and new. In this way, I would like to make clothes that bring excitement and delight to the wearers.

Q+A UK: What are your core values behind the meaning, ‘Made in Japan’ fashion?
MIYAMAE: My core values have always been to do great work at Issey Miyake, and that includes the opportunity to work with some of the most amazing craftspeople and talents we are lucky to have here in Japan. It is not only a joy, but also very inspiring to see how these artisans, old and new, work with techniques that are handed down generation after generation. If these talents are not developed and nurtured, they may become lost or forgotten. Made in Japan is something that makes me very proud.

Q+A UK: Choreography and lights added to the ‘wow-factor’ of your SS12 runway show. How much production are you planning for AW12?
MIYAMAE: The only thing I can reveal now is that we are preparing a special presentation on the runway. Look forward to the experience!

Q+A UK: Describe the complexity of your creative process when designing for a new season. Are you the type of designer, driven by a particular theme? Or do you find cohesiveness via fabric, construction and cut?
MIYAMAE: Of course, we set a particular theme for each season, and examine cut or form according to that. However, the most important process in making clothes is the research; we bypass superficial design because materials themselves are so much more essential to us. Through researching, an idea or source for the collection theme becomes a greater one, growing and growing until we have images and fabrics that translate the original thought process into a reality. We discuss this original idea with our technicians and pattern makers so that we can come together and work on a collection that integrates all of the elements cohesively. We all learn something new when we work together like this; it is energising and motivates us further.