Japanese designer Issey Miyake received the style Award for his eco-friendly, origami-style 132 5. collection at London’s Design Museum Awards on April 24, beating fellow nominees including Sarah Burton and Phoebe Philo.
The awards honor designs and designers across a multitude of disciplines, including architecture, furniture and fashion, with winners from each category, then one overall winner, chosen with a panel of experts.
Inside the fashion category, Burton ended up nominated for that wedding gown she designed for Britain’s Duchess of Cambridge, while esteemed creators for example Mary Katrantzou and Phoebe Philo had been in the running to get a prize -- nevertheless the innovation behind Miyake’s collection ensured a victory.
Made with the assistance of software that can cause flat geometric shapes from single sheets that open into 3D creations, the 132 5. collection comprises wearable dresses that may also be folded flat, origami-style. This isn’t the very first time the art of origami has inspired the style world, as Belgian designer Alexandra Verschueren scooped the key prize on the prestigious fashion and photography festival in Hyères having an origami-inspired collection in 2010.
Miyake’s 132 5. collection also boasts green credentials -- dresses are manufactured out of recyclable materials including polyester processed from plastic containers. This is particularly on trend right now, with labels for example Paul Smith, Lanvin and Armani embracing sustainable fashion included in eco-fashion campaigner Livia Firth’s Green Carpet Challenge. Firth famously wore an Armani gown partly produced from recycled plastic bottles for the Golden Globes back January.