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Japanese Fashion Designer Issey Miyake Dies at 84
Japanese designer Issey Miyake, famed for his pleated style of clothing that never wrinkles and who produced the signature black turtleneck of friend and Apple Inc founder Steve Jobs, has died, media said on Tuesday. He was 84.
Miyake, whose name became a byword for Japan’s economic and fashion prowess in the 1980s, died on Aug. 5 of liver cancer, Kyodo news agency said. No further details were immediately available.
Known for his practicality, Miyake is said to have wanted to become either a dancer or an athlete before reading his sister’s fashion magazines inspired him to change direction – with those original interests believed to be behind the freedom of movement his clothing permits.
Miyake was born in Hiroshima and was seven years old when the atomic bomb was dropped on the city while he was in a classroom. He was reluctant to speak of the event in later life. In 2009, writing in the New York Times as part of a campaign to get then-U.S. President Barack Obama to visit the city, he said he did not want to be labelled as “the designer who survived” the bomb.
“When I close my eyes, I still see things no one should ever experience,” he wrote, adding that within three years, his mother died of radiation exposure.
“I have tried, albeit unsuccessfully, to put them behind me, preferring to think of things that can be created, not destroyed, and that bring beauty and joy. I gravitated toward the field of clothing design, partly because it is a creative format that is modern and optimistic.”
After studying graphic design at a Tokyo art university, he learnt clothing design in Paris, where he worked with famed fashion designers Guy Laroche and Hubert de Givenchy, before heading to New York. In 1970 he returned to Tokyo and founded the Miyake Design Studio.
In the late 1980s, he developed a new way of pleating by wrapping fabrics between layers of paper and putting them into a heat press, with the garments holding their pleated shape. Tested for their freedom of movement on dancers, this led to the development of his signature “Pleats, Please” line.
Eventually he developed more than a dozen fashion lines ranging from his main Issey Miyake for men and women to bags, watches and fragrances before essentially retiring in 1997 to devote himself to research.
In 2016, when asked what he thought were the challenges facing future designers, he indicated to the UK’s Guardian newspaper that people were likely to be consuming less.
“We may have to go through a thinning process. This is important,” he was quoted as saying.
“In Paris, we call the people who make clothing couturiers – they develop new clothing items – but actually the work of designing is to make something that works in real life.”
President Bola Tinubu, on Tuesday arrived in Katsina to receive the remains of the former President Muhammadu Buhari, who passed away in London on Sunday at the age of 82.
Just hours before the burial of former President Muhammadu Buhari, heartfelt tributes have continued to pour in from beneficiaries of his many charitable deeds, with many describing him as a man who never turned his back on the needy.
Speaking to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday, Aminu Daura, a respected community elder, recalled how Buhari consistently provided foodstuffs during Ramadan for families, friends, widows, and orphans in his hometown.
“He never made noise about it, but many homes had food on their tables during fasting period because of him,” Daura said.
Abdullahi Sani, a physically-challenged man who received a tricycle from the Buhari Foundation in 2021, was overcome with emotion while speaking to NAN.
“I can move around and feed my family today because of Baba Buhari. I pray to Allah to reward him for giving hope to people like me,” he said, in tears.
Hajiya Fatima Yahaya, another resident, remembered Buhari’s acts of kindness during festive seasons.
“Even after he left office, his aides ensured that the usual support still reached us every year. He always remember his people,” she said, referring to his distribution of Sallah rams and food items to indigent families during Eid celebrations.
Other residents of Daura also shared memories of how the late former president quietly paid school fees and medical bills for struggling families, actions rarely publicized.
“Some of us benefited from his silent interventions. He was a true father and a great figure in the society,” said Ali Saidu.
On Monday night, Imams across various mosques in Daura held special Qur’anic recitations, praying for the forgiveness of Buhari’s sins and his eternal peace.
The Chief Imam of Daura Central Mosque, Sheikh Musa Kofar Barau, described Buhari as a humble leader whose legacy of service and compassion would remain alive in the hearts of the people.
Buhari is scheduled to be buried later on Tuesday in his hometown of Daura, Katsina State, in line with Islamic rites. The community is bracing to welcome thousands of mourners from across Nigeria and beyond.
His Majesty King Mohammed VI of Morocco has extended heartfelt condolences to President Bola Tinubu, the family of the late former President Muhammadu Buhari, and the entire Nigerian people following Buhari’s death.
In a message of sympathy, the Moroccan monarch described the passing of the former Nigerian leader as a “sad occurrence,” expressing deep sorrow over the loss.
King Mohammed VI hailed Buhari as “an illustrious leader who worked untiringly to serve his country’s best interests and lead his people toward further progress and prosperity.”
He added: “Our thoughts and prayers are with you and the bereaved. I share your grief and want you to know how much I appreciated the working sessions I had with the deceased.”
Reflecting on their bilateral engagements, the king noted that his collaboration with Buhari led to the launch of promising development projects, “ushering a new era grounded in friendship and close cooperation between our two sister nations.”
Tinubu arrives Katsina to receive Buhari’s body for burial
“He Never Turned His Back on the Needy” — Tributes Pour In Ahead of Buhari’s Burial
King Mohammed VI Mourns Buhari, Praises Legacy of Nigeria’s Former Leader
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