Issey Miyake, Japanese fashion designer, dies of cancer at 84

Issey Miyake, the influential Japanese fashion designer known for his innovative styles, has passed away at 84.

According to AP, Miyake, whose name became a byword for Japan’s economic and fashion prowess in the 1980s, died of liver cancer.

He passed away last Friday at a hospital in Tokyo.

It was gathered that funeral service has already been held with his family and close friends.

A memorial ceremony will, however, not be held — in line with the designer’s wishes.

Best known for producing the signature black turtleneck of Steve Jobs, the Apple founder, Miyake was born in Hiroshima in 1938.

He studied graphic design at the Tama Art University in Tokyo and thereafter moved to Paris where he learnt clothing design.

In France, he worked with Guy Laroche and Hubert de Givenchy, the famed fashion designers, before travelling to New York.

Miyake rose to international prominence in the 1980s with avant-garde designs. In 1970, he returned to Tokyo and founded the Miyake Design Studio.

It was gathered that he wanted to become either a dancer or an athlete — but after reading his sister’s fashion magazines, he was inspired to change direction.

In 2010, he received the order of culture and was decorated as a commandeur de l’ordre national de la légion d’honneur six years later.