From April 18 to April 23 during Milan Design Week 2023, ISSEY MIYAKE / MILAN presents THINKING DESIGN, MAKING DESIGN: TYPE-Ⅴ Nature Architects project, A-POC ABLE ISSEY MIYAKE’s latest collaborative project with Nature Architects that aims to look in depth at the role of structure, materiality and production; three elements that uniquely constitute the manufacturing process that perfectly reveals all the Brand’s concentration and study in technologies to create the new collections and future projects.
Integrating Nature Architects’ latest design solutions with A-POC ABLE ISSEY MIYAKE’s design and manufacturing system, this project explores in the constructed prototypes the potential that can be attributed to possible innovations related to the world of clothing and textiles.

Nature Architects, Inc. is a design firm that contracts on the development and design of algorithms oriented to specific functions: Direct Functional ModelingTM (DFM) and based on Metamaterials. DFM are referred to as the term for design algorithms that determine the form of a product by a bottom-up process that first considers the needs at the users’ end, with the intention to automates the design process that is free of human operations; the Metamaterials are designed materials that have properties other than those found in nature.
Through these two concepts, the project aims to adapt the structure derived from the process behind DFM by Nature Architects to the authentic technology of « Steam Stretch » by A-POC ABLE ISSEY MIYAKE to further refine the design process. This combination of technologies allows the A-POC system to use a variety of more complex and never-before-used pleating techniques.

To introduce exploration beyond the creation of clothing, this project presents prototypes made from a single piece of fabric, not only of a jacket and a suit, but also other prototypes that could be used in the fields of furniture, lighting, or architecture, giving a glimpse of A-POC ABLE ISSEY MIYAKE and Nature Architects’ aspirations for the future.

About Nature Architects:
Nature Architects, Inc. is a company established within the University of Tokyo system to provide and think design designs that achieve functions beyond those of conventional products to various manufacturers, using cutting-edge design technology that exploits metamaterials, creating competitive products, and cooperatively supporting the development of new markets and activities in all manufacturing sectors