Issey Miyake was born in Hiroshima, in the southern part of Japan, in 1938. In 1965 he graduated from Tama Art University in Tokyo, where he majored in graphic design. Following graduation, he went to Paris just three months after Kenzo Takada, the first Japanese designer to became successful in France, arrived there. He then went to New York to work with the American designer Geoffrey Beene before returning to Tokyo, where he founded the Miyake Design Studio in 1970. One of Miyake's New York friends took some of his design samples to Vogue magazine and a major department store, Bloomingdale's. Both Vogue and Bloomingdale's were enthusiastic about his work, and Bloomingdale's was so impressed that Miyake got a small section in the store. Kawamura, Yuniya. "Miyake, Issey." The Berg Fashion Library. The Berg Fashion Library, 2005. Web. 4 Mar. 2013. . Kawamura, Yuniya. "Miyake, Issey." The Berg Fashion Library. The Berg Fashion Library, 2005. Web. 4 Mar. 2013. . Miyake is best known for his original fabrics. He collaborates with his textile director, Makiko Minagawa, who interprets his abstract ideas. With Minagawa and the Japanese textile mills, he introduced his most commercially successful collection, Pleats Please, in 1993. Traditionally, pleats are permanently pressed before a garment is cut, but he did it the other way round. He cut and assembled a garment two-and-a-half to three times its proper size. Then he folded, ironed, and oversewed the material so that the straight lines remained in place. Finally the garment was placed in a press between two sheets of paper, from which it emerged with permanent pleats.Kawamura, Yuniya. "Miyake, Issey." The Berg Fashion Library. The Berg Fashion Library, 2005. Web. 4 Mar. 2013. . Miyake has said, "I do not create a fashionable aesthetic … I create a style based on life" (Mendes and de la Haye 1999, p. 233). He is opposed to the words "haute couture," "mode," and "fashion," because they imply a quest for novelty; over the course of his career, he stretched the boundaries of fashion, reshaped the symmetry of clothes, let wrapped garments respond to the body's shape and movement, and destroyed all previous definition of clothing and fashion. It was Miyake who set the stage for the Japanese look in the fashion establishment.The Berg Fashion Library. The Berg Fashion Library, 2005. Web. 4 Mar. 2013. . McNeil, Peter. "Fashion Designers." The Berg Fashion Library. The Berg Fashion Library, n.d. Web. 4 Mar. 2013. . "Dress." The Berg Fashion Library. The Berg Fashion Library, n.d. Web. 4 Mar. 2013. .

Extra Credit Post

Isabel Marant is a French fashion designer known for her bohemian aesthetic and fervently coveted creations. Embodying a casual, perfectly tousled but never over-thought look, her clothes are worn by some of the world's most fashionable stars including Kate Moss, Sienna Miller, Kate Bosworth, Rachel Weisz and Alexa Chung. Holboro, Olivia Vogue online; Isabel Marant Biography.06 July 2012. Web. March 10, 2013;. Marant was born in Paris in 1967 to a German mother - a model - and a French photographer father. Her parents divorced when she was young and Marant was raised primarily by her father, whom she resembles: "My father married a German model and dreamt of a little blonde daughter like his wife. Alas, I was his spitting image - very Frenchy!" she has said.Holboro, Olivia Vogue online; Isabel Marant Biography.06 July 2012. Web. March 10, 2013;.Following her studies Marant interned with Parisian designer Michel Klein in 1987. She also worked with Bridget Yorke on two collections and assisted art director Marc Ascoli on projects for Chloé, Martine Sitbon, and Yohji Yamamoto. In 1994 she set up her own label with a studio in Paris' trendy Marais district. As when she was young, she bases her creations on her own style and tastes: "I am my first customer... My approach has always been: would I like to wear this garment? I do prêt-a-porter; I do not revolutionise the fashion world," she said in 2011. Her first show, for the spring-summer 1995 season, was held in the courtyard of a squat with her friends modelling. Marant won the Award de la Mode in 1997, and the Whirlpool Award for best female designer in 1998. Marant’s label is a ‘melting mode’, a trendsetter’s favourite with its mix of minimalist and bohemian. The obvious femininity of floating dresses is offset by louche minimalist masculinity and unlike many of her Parisian contemporaries Marant’s strain of chic has an almost affordable price tag. Holboro, Olivia Vogue online; Isabel Marant Biography.06 July 2012. Web. March 10, 2013;. Isabel Marant is known for her eclectic Bohemian and rocker styles that are worn by trendy models and actors across the world. Her designs are unique and trendy and stand out from any other designer. She was one of the first designers to design the trendy wedge sneaker that is still coveted today. Holboro, Olivia Vogue online; Isabel Marant Biography.06 July 2012. Web. March 10, 2013;. These images depict Marant's bohemian style. Curators of Style; We are all Customers. Designer Profile Isabel Marant. 01 May 2011. Web. March 10, 2013. Curators of Style; We are all Customers. Designer Profile Isabel Marant. 01 May 2011. Web. March 10, 2013. Anine Bing has been in the fashion industry ever since she started modeling at the age of 15. Since 2009 Anine is also the front singer/songwriter of the band Kill Your Darlings. Besides music and modeling, she has done several design collaborations with different brands. Eventually Anine began dreaming about making her own clothing line, a dream which is finally becoming true. "I want to create clothes that are easy to wear. The pieces should work just as good for everyday use as for a night out. To me the quality together with the fit are the two most important factors in a good piece of clothing, so naturally that’s what I focus on in the design" The clothes are made of the finest materials, all according to Anine’s rock-bohemian style. Anine gets her inspiration from music, L.A. flea markets, bloggers and from life at large. "I am a mom, but that doesn't stop me from wanting to dress well. My aim is that regardless if you are a mom, a model, a lawyer or a teacher you should be able to find cool and suitable pieces from my label". Anine Bing Biography About. Web. 10 March 2013. www.aninebing.com. Anine Bing Biography About. Web. 10 March 2013. www.aninebing.com. Anine Bing Biography About. Web. 10 March 2013. www.aninebing.com. Similar to Isabel Marant, Anine Bing combines bohemian and street edgy styles in her new line. Both designers bring their personal street styles to the lines they design resulting in unique clothing. In addition, both designers are around the same price points as well. Celebrities and bloggers are wearing Anine Bing. One big difference between both designers is that Isabel Marant has been designing since the early 90's while Anine Bing just launched her line in 2013. As such, Isabel Marant has an established following and is opening boutiques and has opened boutiques across the world. Because it takes time to establish good will in a brand and a business, Anine Bing has quite a way to go to reach the status of Isabel Marant. However, her designs are cutting edge and if she makes the right business decisions she would have a very successful line. In comparing both designers Isabel Marant has a lot more pieces in her collection versus Anine Bing who is just starting out. I would say that I really like both designers and look forward to seeing their future success (as well as mine of course :)).

Domenico Dolce was born in Polizzi Generosa (near Palermo, Sicily) on 13 September 1958. His family owned a small clothing business, where Domenico worked from childhood. Stefano Gabbana was born in Milan on 14 November 1962. He studied graphics but soon turned to fashion. After a brief period working as assistant designers, they founded the Dolce & Gabbana label, which had its first runway show as part of the New Talent group in Milan in 1985, upon the invitation of Italian fashion promoter Beppe Modenese.Reinach, Simona. "Dolce & Gabbana." The Berg Fashion Library. The Berg Fashion Library, 2005. Web. 10 Mar. 2013. . In 1986 they produced their first collection, called "Real Women." In 1987 they launched their knitwear line and in 1989 their beachwear and lingerie lines. Beginning in 1988 they produced their ready-to-wear line in Domenico Dolce's family-owned atelier, located in Legnano, Milan. The first Dolce & Gabbana men's collection appeared in 1990. In 1994 they launched the D&G label, inspired by street style and a more youthful look. The clothes were produced and distributed by Ittierre."Dolce & Gabbana." The Berg Fashion Library. The Berg Fashion Library, 2005. Web. 10 Mar. 2013. . Dolce and Gabbana are considered the inventors of a Mediterranean style that draws its inspiration from the Sicily of Luchino Visconti's 1963 film The Leopard and the women of Italian realism, sensual and austere like Anna Magnani, to whom they dedicated a collection whose key element was the 1940s slip. "Dolce & Gabbana." The Berg Fashion Library. The Berg Fashion Library, 2005. Web. 10 Mar. 2013. . Dolce & Gabbana is one of the best examples of the explosion in Italian ready-to-wear that occurred during the mid-1980s. Creativity and versatility, the union of the press and the star system, a range of products and clothing lines, and careful attention to distribution are all elements that contribute to the realization of an integrated system of communication. "Dolce & Gabbana." The Berg Fashion Library. The Berg Fashion Library, 2005. Web. 10 Mar. 2013. . Dolce and Gabbana keep their fashion fun, classy, and timeless which is why they have retained a successful following of celebrities, socialites, and actors.

The designer Roy Halston Frowick (1932–1990) was born in Des Moines, Iowa, and began his career as a milliner. He subsequently rose to become one of the most important American designers of the 1970s, whose influence was still being felt into the twenty-first century. Moving beyond hats, Halston went on to design his first clothing collection for Bergdorf Goodman in June 1966. Two years later he left the retailer to form his own company, Halston Ltd. In December of 1968 Halston showed his first namesake collection in his new Angelo Donghia–designed showroom at 33 East Sixty-Eighth Street in New York City. As his business grew, Halston took over the entire building, creating a retail boutique in 1972 that took up three floors of the building, with each floor selling a different collection (and at a different price point). Later that year a ready-to-wear company, Halston Originals, was formed with two partners and headquartered on New York's Seventh Avenue. Rottman, Fred. "Halston." The Berg Fashion Library. The Berg Fashion Library, 2005. Web. 4 Mar. 2013. . Supermodel Central The Big Halston The BIG Halston Whoopsie F*#$ing Daisy: Rebranding Needs Redirection; Blog. 14 Dec. 2011. 3 March 2013. In 1978 the company moved its design studio to a spacious venue on the twenty-first floor of the Olympic Tower at Fifty-first Street and Fifth Avenue. With the bigger space once again came an increased workload. Eventually, Halston was designing four ready-to-wear, four sportswear, and two made-to-order collections per year. All this was in addition to furs, shoes, swimwear, robes, intimate apparel, men's wear, luggage, and uniforms for both Avis Rent A Car System and Braniff Airline employees. Halston also continued to design costumes for his celebrity friends, including the performer Liza Minnelli, and for Martha Graham's dance company.Rottman, Fred. "Halston." The Berg Fashion Library. The Berg Fashion Library, 2005. Web. 4 Mar. 2013. Supermodel Central The Big Halston The BIG Halston Whoopsie F*#$ing Daisy: Rebranding Needs Redirection; Blog. 14 Dec. 2011. 3 March 2013. Halston was one of the premiere designers of the 1970s. He dressed celebrity clients like Bianca Jagger and Liza Minnelli. His simplistic and classic designs were coveted by celebrities and actors of that time. He also spent alot of time at Studio 54. His popularity waned in the 1980's and although he tried to revitalize his brand it never had the cult following that it did in the 1970s. Sadly, Halston passed away from complications of Aids in 1990. Recently, the brand was revived under Halston Heritage and has been successful in the last few years. The designs are reminiscent of the 1970s with a modern twist.