Issey Miyake’s “monozukuri” or way of making things is an ongoing quest via research and experimentation for new innovations that can be harnessed, free from existing conventions. Miyake’s goal is always to find new projects and people through which to harness the power of design to address the needs of people’s contemporary lifestyles.

Born in Hiroshima, Issey Miyake first gained awareness of design from his encounter with two bridges designed by Isamu Noguchi in the city center named Ikiru (“to live”) and Shinu (“to die”) (1952; later renamed Tsukuru (“to build”) and Yuku (“to depart”). He realized that the power of design lay both in empowering people to look at as well as to be able to cross the bridges.