Issey Miyake Inc has appointed Dai Fujiwara as its new creative director. Fujiwara is the Japanese design house’s second head designer since its founder stepped down seven years ago. He succeeds Naoki Takizawa, who presented his last collection for the house in Paris two weeks ago. Both Fujiwara and Takizawa were tapped from inside the company.
Fujiwara, who has been with the house since 1995, will debut his first collection during the men’s shows in Paris in January. The women’s collection will premiere in Paris in March. He collaborated on the launch the A-Poc line in 1998 and has continued to co-create it with Miyake. Nobuyuki Ota, the company president, said Fujiwara was “instilled with Mr. Miyake’s spirit of exploration and joy of making things”. He added that he knows how to “combine new technologies with existing traditions”, something the brand has become known for.
Meanwhile, Takizawa will launch is own brand under the Miyake umbrella next year.