Back to the future: Issey Miyake opens a sleek flagship in a Milan palazzo
- (opens in new tab)
- (opens in new tab)
- (opens in new tab)
- Sign up to our newsletter Newsletter

Renowned for its futuristic design process and aesthetic, Issey Miyake (opens in new tab) has bought a touch of 19th century splendour to the brand’s first Italian flagship store. The new 500 sq m space is located inside Palazzo Reina, the first historic building to be used in the Japanese label’s retail history with Miyake himself enlisting artist/designer and longtime collaborator Tokujin Yoshioka to conceive the shop’s interior.
Yoshioka, who worked under Miyake before founding his own eponymous design company in 2000, is the mastermind behind many of its retail spaces, including its Brook Street flagship in London; its Aomaya Reality Lab (opens in new tab) in Tokyo; and its recently opened Muensterhof space in Zurich. The designer also created a metal-strap watch for the label in 2015, and devised acrylic and cardboard mannequins for the ‘The Work of Issey Miyake’ retrospective at Tokyo’s National Art Centre in 2016.
Issey Miyake’s first Italian boutique is housed inside the Palazzo Reina in Milan
Miyake’s Brook Street location contrasts raw concrete walls against colourful anodised aluminium, so it’s only fitting that for the brand’s Via Bagutta location in Milan, Yoshioka continues this exploration of juxtapositions. Blue, orange and green aluminium panels and silver metal rails feature alongside grainy frescoes uncovered during the restoration of Palazzo Reina. Working in aesthetic opposition, the two finishes also act as symbols of the passage of time, representing both Italian classicism and Japanese futurism.
The time-worn hues of the ceiling and the earthy terrazzo floor also form a striking counterpoint to the the rails of rainbow-hued Pleats Please pieces, housed alongside other innovative lines including Homme Plissé Issey Miyake, Bao Bao Issey Miyake and 132 5 Issey Miyake. The brand is famed for its invention of revolutionary techniques including the creation of uncreasable pleated polyester garments using a heating machine and A-POC (A Piece of Cloth), the creation of clothing from a digitally programmed single knitted tube. Now, with its first steps in Milan, Issey Miyake has marked its Italian future with a celebratory nod to the city’s architectural past.
The boutique is housed within the Palazzo Reina
Futuristic and classic design references act as symbols of the passage of time
Information
For more information, visit the Issey Miyake website (opens in new tab)
Address
Via Bagutta, 12
20121 Milan
View Google Maps (opens in new tab)
-
In memoriam: Paco Rabanne (1934 – 2023)
Spanish designer Paco Rabanne, known for his visionary ‘Space Age’ fashion and experimental fragrances, has died aged 88
By Jack Moss • Published
-
Zara launches playful beauty line for kids
Mini Artists by Zara Beauty is a new line of kid-friendly face paints and water-soluble nail polishes designed with Diane Kendal
By Mary Cleary • Published
-
Buckhorn Sculpture Park: inside the art paradise dreamt up by collectors Sherry and Joel Mallin
As legendary art collectors Sherry and Joel Mallin prepare to sell their upstate New York home – and the star-studded collection occupying Buckhorn, its onsite sculpture park – we go behind the scenes of this art treasure trove, and the extraordinary life, work and spirit of the Mallins
By MZ Adnan • Published
-
Satoshi Kondo on continuing the design legacy of Issey Miyake
By Jack Moss • Last updated
-
Giorgio Armani’s top ten creative inspirations, from Eileen Gray to Issey Miyake
As part of his Wallpaper* October 2022 guest-edit, Giorgio Armani tells us about ten creatives that have inspired and energised him throughout his illustrious career
By Giorgio Armani • Last updated
-
AlphaTauri’s Salzburg HQ is a science fiction fantasy
Browse in-store, buy online: the future-focused mentality of AlphaTauri
By Simon Mills • Last updated
-
Manu Atelier's first boutique nods to Le Corbusier in Istanbul
The cult Istanbul-based label introduces bold, sculptural expressionism into this first bricks and mortar store
By Laura Hawkins • Last updated
-
Louis Vuitton's Ginza Namiki flagship evokes a rippling pillar of water
Japanese architect Jun Aoki creates a water-like facade for Louis Vuitton's Ginza Namiki Tokyo flagship
By Danielle Demetriou • Last updated
-
Tailored suits: make a style statement in a smart jacket
Smarten up your act with a selection of elegant men's jackets, whether your err towards check, pinstripe or tuxedo for your tailored suit
By Laura Hawkins • Last updated
-
Alternative retail websites for fashionable festive gifting
Look to luxury etailers Rêve En Vert, APOC Store and Doda the Store, Aspect and Zero-Living for feel-good gifting options that support emerging creatives and artists, and have a sustainability-focused mindset
By Laura Hawkins • Last updated
-
Aspesi’s upcycled shirt is a winter wardrobe staple
The Italian brand's Shirt-Jacket 13 silhouette is well padded with eco-credentials
By Laura Hawkins • Last updated