Issey Miyake Black Pleated Sculptural Sleeveless Maxi Dress, 1990s

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. Eschewing the traditional way of constructing garments from pre-pleated fabric, Miyake developed his own method of “garment pleating”, creating permanent pleats using a heat press after constructing a garment’s desired shape. This technique created remarkable clothes that maintain their shape, may be folded flat, and do not crease.

From the Nineties, this beautiful dress is a fine example of Miyake’s interest in folding techniques and desire to create pleated garments that move. Done in black polyester, an ideal fabric for pleating, this dress is a sophisticated and innovative take on a timeless silhouette.

The bodice is introduced with a round neckline framed by two slender straps, the open décolletage bringing a nice lightness to the midi-length gown. The micro pleated fabric offers a pleasing textural rhythm throughout while following the natural lines of the body, flowing from the bodice to an asymmetric hem that reveals the ankles at the front and finishes in a pointed fishtail at the back.

Size: Small

Measurements:

Bust: 32 inches

Waist: up to 30

Hips: 32-34 inches

Length: 48 front 59 inches at the center back

An exquisite attached overlay piece falls from a three-dimensional fold at the top of the bodice in the front, and a more subtle fold at the back. A slit in the center front panel of the overlay creates a tear shaped keyhole, offering a glimpse of the dress beneath. The overlay cocoons around the body, the asymmetric hem reaching the hips in a straight line at the front while finishing in a point at the back, mirroring the hem of the dress.

The voluminous, wrap-around nature of this overlay emphasizes the hips and is visible from the front of the dress, creating an Avant Garde silhouette that is fascinating and feminine at once. The contrasting direction of the pleats on both the overlay and dress adds another layer of depth throughout, giving the eye something new to appreciate at each angle. A structural masterpiece, this sophisticated gown will draw attention whatever the occasion, and certainly is, as Miyake once said of his clothes, a tool for the “wearers creativity.”

A similar version of this 1990’s Miyake dress with an integrated shawl is part of the LACMA’s permanent collection. Unlined, this sleeveless dress slips over the head for easy wear and 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.