Issey Miyake Pleated Blue Polka Dot Dress & Jacket Set

About the Item

Futuristic Japanese designer Issey Miyake is a master of form and fabric, known for creating beautiful sculptural garments that pay homage to the past while bringing us somewhere new and enchanting. Special attention to the fabrics and materials used allow Miyake to create spectacular garments that rely upon unique volumes and textures. Presumably from 2007, this Issey Miyake Fête dress and jacket set is a fine example of Miyake’s interest in folding techniques and desire to create pleated garments that move. Done in a deep blue polyester, an ideal fabric for pleating, the set features a pattern of large and small midnight blue velour polka dots, a material that was incorporated in many Fête designs. The dress begins with a square neckline framed by two slender straps, the open decolletage bringing a nice lightness to the midi-length silhouette. The plisse fabric offers a pleasing textural rhythm throughout while following the natural lines of the body, flowing from bodice to a subtle high-low hem that reaches several inches above the ankles. The velour polka dots add another layer of texture and richness, giving this dress more of an autumnal feel despite the open neckline and sheer elements. Size estimate: Small Measurements: Dress: Bust: 28-32 inches Waist: 24-32 inches Hips: up to 36 inches Length: 50 inches Jacket: Length: 25-38 inches The simplicity of this dress allows the accompanying jacket to take center stage with its exquisite Avant Garde silhouette and dramatic high-low hem. Done in the same micro pleated sheer polyester featuring velour polka dots, the open front jacket begins with a shawl neckline and long sleeves. The back of the jacket is another story altogether, with the two panels that comprise the jacket curving outward from the center back seam and extending nearly to the knee in a point at the front on each side. An elegant addition to the discerning fashion lover’s wardrobe, this incredible and rare Issey Miyake dress and jacket set is the perfect choice for an evening soiree or special occasion. This Issey Miyake Fête dress is lined and slips on over the head for easy wear. The accompanying jacket is unlined and has no closures. In excellent condition, this Issey Miyake dress and jacket set has been professionally eco dry cleaned and pressed. High-quality vintage pieces like this are yours to live in and love while increasing in value every year. It’s never too soon to start collecting them, as an investment in your wardrobe—and in yourself.

Designer:

Issey Miyake Fete

Brand:

Issey Miyake

Dimensions:

Marked Size: small (US)

Place of Origin:

Japan

Period:

2000-2009

Condition:

Seller Location:

Boca Raton, FL

Reference Number:

1stDibs: LU73014262342

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Shop All Issey Miyake

Issey Miyake

From the prismatic Pleats Please collection to the modular, three-dimensional garments crafted from recycled plastic bottles in his Reality Lab, the captivating fashions by Japanese designer Issey Miyake are all about movement.

Born in Hiroshima, Miyake studied graphic design at Tama Art University in Tokyo before relocating to Paris in 1965, where he studied couture and cut his teeth working for Guy Laroche and Hubert de Givenchy. In 1969, he moved to New York, where he worked for Geoffrey Beene. He returned to Tokyo in 1970 to found his first solo venture, the Miyake Design Studio. It wasn’t until the 1990s, though, that the designer had his breakthrough moment with experimentations in pleating. Some of his earliest explorations were for choreographer William Forsythe’s Frankfurt Ballet Company, with the 1991 performance of The Loss of Small Detail featuring costumes Miyake designed with pleats that complemented and transformed the movement of the dancers.

Though long a staple in couture — from delicate women’s skirts to men’s suit pants — pleats took on new life in Miyake’s hands. By using a heat press to cure his fabrics after his garments are stitched, Miyake was able to maintain the accordion structure of the pleat, turning a series of folds into sculptural, often futuristic forms unbound by the shape of the human body. In 1993, Miyake debuted “garment pleating” in his Pleats Please line, in which the clothes are constructed at a size that is larger than what is intended for the finished product. The pleats are then created — a process that involves folding and ironing and is separate from the joining of seams — and individual pieces are subsequently hand-fed into a heat press. The pleats are permanent and the garments can be worn and washed without losing their shape.

Miyake’s pleats run the gamut in scale, which enabled him to evoke dramatic, sharp silhouettes and flowy movements in equal measure. In essence, he created an entirely new material whose iterations are infinite — a feat of technology as much as fashion.

Other innovations include Miyake’s 1997 Just Before collection, which introduced a series of tube-knit dresses that could be cut as desired, reducing both work and resources. His Reality Lab now investigates new materials, such as a fully recycled polyester. Miyake’s prowess, in fact, captured another iconic figure in the tech world: Steve Jobs, for whom the designer made hundreds of identical black turtlenecks, the late Apple founder’s sartorial signature.

Find a collection of vintage Issey Miyake day dresses, jackets, shirts and other clothing on 1stDibs.