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Issey Miyake launched Pleats Please, a new fragrance for women by the iconic japanese designer. And this time, the elegant minimalistic low profile of the brand gave place to an outstanding colorful project… all wrapped in a 2.0 approach.

Every decade in the Perfumery industry brought a new way of creating fragrances. The 90’s was the era of Back to basics, to an idea of “essentiality”. After the crowded over-rated sexy fragrances of the 80’s dominated often by American Brands and French, a new start came. This essentiality, often based on a minimalistic approach, started with a Eau d'Issey femmefragrance called L’Eau d’Issey in 1992. For the first time, elegance and femininity were treated into its essential form. L’Eau d’Issey marked Perfumery history and also gave the tone to Issey Miyake’s perfumery signature. Since then, the Brand has capitalized in the concept of essentiality, texture and materials, which basically also defines well Issey Miyake’s fashion. Since the launch of its first fragrance, we note the launches of incredible fragrances like L’Eau d’Issey for men in 1994 and Le Feu d’Issey in 1998 (a true olfactive UFO).

This year, the japanese Brand reveals Pleats Please. It is a new fragrance  for women in which the iconic japanese designer release a joyful and colorful message to the world.

THE NAME

The project itself takes its inspiration in the heart of the Brand, on part of its DNA. In dead Pleats Please is the name of one of the most inspiring and iconic fashion collections of the brand. Jersey garments for women that are first cut and sewn and then pleated.  Normally it is the opposite but thanks to a specific textile technique, Miyake’s collections crossed location and time to become an outstanding fashion signature.

isseymiyake dress
photo: Irving Penn

 

THE FLACON

The fragrance flacon is an existing geometrical study at Issey Miyake’s studio that was originally used in the creation of the famous Bao Bao bag.
sac bao bao by Miyake

Pleats_Please_Miyake

Pleats_please_fragrance_flacon

The flacon cap and the illustration you see on the carton packaging are inspired by a poppy photography made by Irving Penn, international fashion photographer.
Irving Penn for Issey Miyake.

Irving Penn met Issey Miyake in 1983 during a photo-shooting for Vogue. Since then the photographer followed Issey’s career and collections by taking the most amazing and outstanding photos. The Pleats Please collection was always for him a great source of inspiration. From September 2011 until April 2012 was hold a very interesting exhibition called Irving Penn and Issey Miyake: Visual Dialogue (at Designsight – Tokyo midtown). It was based on more than 20 years of visual collaboration between the fashion designer and the fashion photographer.

Onion flower dress by Miyake - photo Irving Penn

 

THE FRAGRANCE

The fragrance is inspired by the natural and minimalistic universe of Issey Miyake. The perfumer is Aurélien Guichard at Givaudan. It was a great challenge the fact of translating fashion into an olfactive creation. The result is a delicate blend between timeless elegance and modern freshness. To accomplish this, Aurélien Guichard dove into the Brand’s creation universe and origins. The scent opens with a fresh, mouth-watering Nashi accord, the japanese pear (or apple it depends how you see it 🙂 ). Then the olfactory story pursuits with a delicate yet intense heart of flowers – Peony, Scented peas and a vibrant jasmine. Comfort and warmth are brought through a modern accord of Atlas cedarwood, Patchouli, Vanilla and white musks. Compared to many things launched this year, this fragrance has the honor of being elegant, nice and not sticky at all. I wish that many other Brands would try something as interesting as this fragrance this year… So thumbs up!

 

THE COMMUNICATION

The idea of Pleats Please is a modern vision of elegance and freedom. Color is definitely a challenge for the brand used to more white/black/grey but it is coherent with the talent of Miyake to play with lights and shapes. So this freedom brings an idea of freedom of movement, of youth, positive energy, all wrapped in an extreme timeless elegance (the Pleats).

pleats-please-issey-miyake-edt

Here is the making of for the TV spot:

In the internet I must highlight a very nice, simple yet clever idea of promoting the fragrance. With a partnership with Google maps, you can basically fill the world with messages based on Miyake’s Pleats.

Pleats Please Google map

To create your own message go to: http://www.isseymiyakeparfums.com 

 

First you need to write a message that will be created in front of your eyes by the dancer. All letters will be created with fabrics and pleats.

Pleats Please fragrance internet

Then you pick up a precise location to place your message. Here the engine is using Google maps street view.

Pleats Please fragrance internet 2

And finally you can also share to “your” entire world what you did…

Pleats Please fragrance internet 3

So this fall, why not adding some optimism to this grey world?
LA

 

Info sourced at the brand’s website, wikipedia, web&Luxe and press release. All content is copyrighted with no reproduction rights available.