Best streamlining: Wallpaper* Design Awards 2021
Issey Miyake's ‘Unpack the Compact’ S/S21 collection takes the gong for an offering that can fit into just one single shipping box
Before the Covid-19 pandemic put a pause on travel, seasonal Fashion Weeks saw swathes of editors and crates of clothing freewheel across the globe. This mass movement was a concern for Issey Miyake’s designer Satoshi Kondo, who shipped numerous boxes of clothing from Japan to Paris for the label’s A/W20 womenswear show in February last year. Serious about streamlining, Kondo has now succeeded in packing the entire S/S21 collection into one wooden shipping box.
Miyake’s clothing is famed for its functionality. Its lightweight Pleats Please pieces can be scrunched into suitcases and emerge crease-free, and dry after washing in a matter of minutes. For S/S21, Kondo has created silhouettes that can be folded, stacked, tied and rolled, ensuring they’ll need little space not just in a shipping box, but your chest of drawers too. The collection includes zigzag-pattern knitted garments that stretch out like a sponge, lightweight water- and-wrinkle-repellent coats that can be folded and transformed into bags, biker jackets that can be zipped up into smaller 3D forms, and vests that mould like shells around the body.
Kondo was also intent on bringing a new sense of joy to the activity of unpacking, where the construction of compact clothing brings design-focused delight. Boxed or worn, his cleverly constructed clothing is certainly a delight, and proof that good things come in small packages.
INFORMATION
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox
-
Molly Goddard on creating a community of contemporary brides
As new Molly Goddard bridal wear is released, the designer talks about creating romantic but real wedding dresses, while three recent brides tell the stories behind their own Goddard gowns
By Jack Moss Published
-
Palazzo Roma embodies the heritage of Roman noblesse
Palazzo Roma, part of the Shedir Collection, boasts eclectic and eccentric interiors by Giampiero Panepinto
By Luke Abrahams Published
-
Boise Passive House’s bold gestures support an environmentally friendly design
Boise Passive House by Haas Architecture combines sleek, contemporary design and environmental efficiency
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Best furniture reissues: Wallpaper* Design Awards 2021
Three Italian classics we’re very pleased to welcome back: these designs from Cassina, FontanaArte and B&B Italia blur the boundaries between art and design
By TF Chan Last updated
-
Portable handwashing station wins Life-Enhancer of the Year: Wallpaper* Design Awards 2021
Responding swiftly to a public health emergency, Lagos designer Nifemi Marcus-Bello devised a portable, modular handwashing station that draws on local materials and manufacturing expertise
By TF Chan Last updated