Issey Miyake Guest Artist Series No 2 Pleated Dress, 1997

Japanese designer Miyake has an uncanny ability to elevate the status of fashion, even for those who typically consider it superficial or wanton. His work not only appears on runways, but has been on exhibition in Tokyo, Berlin, London, and Paris. This incredible piece is a result of 1997 collaboration with Japanese artist Nobuyoshi Araki. Araki, a prolific photographer and contemporary artist, explores themes of gender, power, and sexuality.

From a line called Pleats Please, Miyaki exploits the nature and malleability of polyester. Polyester, which is basically an extruded plastic, is ideal for creating permanent and resilient pleats. This dress, a sleeveless sheath with a scooped neckline, is extremely simple in silhouette.

Araki’s photograph featuring a woman lying on a bed is incorporated into the dress like a window pane in a modernist building. Wrapping around to the backside, the reclining woman’s garment gathers up just short of covering her backside. The color pallet is rich and unusual, pairing the cool blues and grays with subtle shocks of yellow and orange. This unlined dress, signed by Araki, fits lightly, like a slip with an elegant elasticity and spring.

Size Estimate: S/M

Measurements:

Bust: up to 34 inches

Waist: up to 28 inches

Hips: 36 inches

Length: 46 inches

This fashionable art dress from 1997 is in excellent condition. A simple sheath, the dress is a collaboration between Japanese designer Issey Miyake and artist Nobuyoshi Araki. A longtime favorite with Miyake, polyester is used for its ability to be permanently altered with heat and pressure.

The color fastness of polyester is also an advantage as fading is minimized. The pleated dress is sleeveless with a scooped neckline at both front and back. Professionally 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.