EVENT: Up Close with Akira
September 02 2019 – Mandy Passmore
Up Close with Akira was a fabulous night, thoroughly enjoyed by all. Our lucky guests were treated to hilarious and insightful tales from his life in the world of fashion.
Akira spoke about the influences from his home country, Japan, with techniques such as origami, shibori and kasuri and how he incorporates these traditional skills into his garments, embracing his heritage.
We were delighted to hear how it all began... he would spend his days with his Mother in the kitchen while she was preparing meals. He made use of her tea towels, dancing around and watching how the fabric flowed and then began folding and attaching the tea towels to make a 'garment'. Joking that tea towels are too small to wear, he had to source larger fabric!
We discussed this beautiful quote on his take on Androgyny which he believes says it all when it comes to his thoughts on design.
“I always questioned the idea that if you are born a boy you should be brought up to behave a certain way, and if you are a girl you should wear certain clothes that would not be worn by a boy. I believe men should be able to express femininity and women should be able to express masculinity through the style of the garments they wear. I’m not making any political statements, but when you think about us as human beings beyond gender, we all have emotions and men can be as emotional as women.”
- Favourite Season - Spring
- He prefers the Forest to the Beach
- He'd rather listen to music than read because he wants to sit back, relax and be entertained
- He believes good teeth are more important than good hair because you can always shave your head
- He chooses silk over leather
- He would rather meet Superman than Spiderman because he's scared of spiders
- He enjoys Soccer more than Football, and
- Vegemite wins over Peanut Butter
Just some of the words and phrases used to describe Akira Isogawa in his self-titled book:
Artisanal, “kimono-mind at work”, sense of freedom, “appreciating the quality of imperfection”, certain poetry, interrogating nuances of craftsmanship, reflecting the ambience of his adopted country, finding inspiration through travel…
A few signed copies of his book are still available and can be purchased through the online store.
Till next time...
Tiffany