“From the beginning I thought about working with the body in movement, the space between the body and clothes to move when people moved.”
Issey Miyake
Before departing for Paris, I made a trip to Miami to visit the Parodi Costume Collection. Housed in a 1920’s Bauhaus-style building just off Biscayne Boulevard in the Wynwood section of the city; it is one of Miami’s best kept secrets. The vision, passion and collection of over 5,000 garments and accessories, spanning over a century of fashion history, is that of Paquita Parodi and her son, Gonzalo.
More a research and learning resource for design students than a museum, it is open limited hours and by appointment only. The large collection is deliberately highly curated to provoke responses, insights and connections to the historical time and culture in which a garment was designed. This approach both surprised and delighted me. Rather than a grand museum tour of fashion, I was introduced to a small selection – on this particular day – of Japanese designs. This complimented my experiences in Japan (see Destination Style/Japan) and deepened my appreciation for the design philosophy and aesthetic of Japanese clothing designers — one which upended the fashion world.
The exhibit began with an explanation of four core themes fundamental to understanding the concepts expressed by the garments selected for display. Knowing these terms and their use is essential to grasping the impact and influence Japanese designers had on Western design.
1.”Ha” is the idea of a rupture or break — transformation.
2.”So” expresses the essence of something, it’s basic simplicity, a rawness.
3. “Hi” is the notion of concealment, shadow and mystery, suggestion.
4. “Ma” celebrates and reveals the space in-between.
The Parodi featured the work of three of the most renowned and influential Japanese designers: Yohji Yamamoto, Rei Kawakubo and Issey Miyake. Each of these designers challenged the prevailing Western norms and approach to clothing. All three were first introduced to the Parisian fashion world in the 1973 “Japanese Fashion” exhibit at the Museum of Decorative Arts. The show introduced never-seen before silhouettes, new textiles and construction techniques.
The cracks in fashion’s firmament became an earthquake — “Ha,” a rupture, break a transformation — in the 1980’s. Yamamoto’s first Paris runway show (1981) used black as a base for his layering of fabric, which concealed the body (“Hi”) and oversized, asymmetrical shapes that created space for movement (“Ma”).
Rei Kawakubo’s brand, Comme des Garçons, also debuted in in 1981 and she, too used black along with grays and white for simplicity and rawness (“So”) in her deconstructed, often unfinished garments that stunned traditional tailoring practices (Ha”). Like Yamamoto, she used asymmetry and layering and added contrasting textures and lengths. Perhaps most shocking was her sculptural proportions of form and fit. Though they recalled the exaggerated excesses of past French fashion fads such as huge panniers and voluminous sleeves.
Issey Miyake introduced unique textures and forms (Ha”) using synthetic materials and a novel pleating technique that maintained shape and movement— his signature style construction.His clothes were also oversized and layered allowing for versatility and movement (“Ha”).
The Japanese concepts of “Ha,” “So,” “Hi” and “Ma” ushered in and formed the foundation for Avant -garde and Punk styles. Their once radical concepts have found their way into mainstream dressing in oversized and asymmetrical styles. The comfort of Ma, “the space between the body and clothes,” was quickly embraced by Western consumers and designers alike.
If you’d like to add more of this kind of comfort to your wardrobe, call today to achieve the right balance and structure for your Purely Personal style.
Parodi Costume Collection
276 NE 27th St.
Miami, Fl.
Note: Exhibits are curated and rotated regularly.
