Issey Miyake Perfume & Women's Fragrance

Issey Miyake is a celebrated Japanese designer who has created clothes, fragrances and even manufacturing methods. A survivor of the nuclear attacks of 1945, Miyake grew up in the ruins of post-war Japan and he has admitted that this influenced his positive and bright style, which tends to build on the past but look to the future. In the 60's a young Miyake, fresh out of design school, went to Europe and ended up working for Guy Laroche and Givenchy, creating luxurious pieces for the rich and powerful. In interviews, he has described how seeing the riots in Paris in '68 convinced him that the future lay in “clothes for the masses” and when he returned to Japan a few years later it was to set up his very own brand, which would focus on technical innovation and wearable fashion that everyone could enjoy.

Issey Miyake fashion tends to be very focused on the process behind the design and the use of new and untested materials. His famous Pleats Please line uses the old technique of pleating to create new types of clothing that expand and stretch with the wearer. This collection was complimented with a Miyake perfume of the same name. Pleats Please (1993) is directly inspired by pleating and sandwiches fruit, flowers and woods, most notably notes of pears, sweet pea and cedar. Miyake is also known for his work with textures and crinkles. He has made shirts and dresses from recycled plastic bottles and cardboard boxes. Miyake likes collaboration and often lets his designers create their own lines under the Issey Miyake banner, resulting in boutique brands like Cauliflower.

The very first Issey Miyake perfume was L'eau d'Issey for Women (1992). This feminine and ozonic flower scent is a very clean blend of melon, lotus, lily and rose water on a base of wood and amber. It was one of the most popular perfumes of the 90's and stands out with its tall, cone-formed bottle. The scent has been released in several versions including Lune d'Issey (2001), L`Eau d`Issey Gold (2011) and numerous summer versions. A Scent (2009) is a minimal green fragrance with yuzu, verbena, lavender, jasmine and wood. It's a strikingly clean and fresh fragrance with inspiration from the great mountains of Japan.