Issey Miyake collaborates with We Make Carpets for Milan Design Week 2024
Since the opening of the Milan store in 2017, Issey Miyake has made it a tradition to collaborate with designers, artists, and creatives who share its vision of design as something that sparks joy and curiosity to be shared with people worldwide.
For this year’s edition, the brand teamed up with the Dutch collective We Make Carpets to present “Fold and Crease,” an installation comprising a series of carpets – not sewn, but crafted from large quantities of everyday materials used to create original compositions – that reflect the same quality and craftsmanship found in Issey Miyake.
The work of We Make Carpets is both playful and stimulating. The complexity and beauty of their meticulous process are rooted in extensive research and project development – a methodology not unlike the R&D processes applied in the design sector. Their approach begins with an initial site visit to understand the context, followed by the search for available objects to work with, and then a series of experiments and studies to comprehend their materiality. Finally, they synthesize the results of this process to finalize the project and begin crafting the carpet in question.
Their technique is simple, eschewing fancy gadgets and advanced technologies. The act of carefully placing each piece requires hours of work and a great deal of patience – evident in their silent yet synchronized teamwork on-site as they bring their project to life. Perhaps it is precisely their rigorous commitment to creation that evokes a feeling that speaks directly to the senses.
The Dutch collective We Make Carpets, founded in 2009, has amazed the world for fifteen years by transforming everyday objects into site-specific installations. The trio has exhibited their works in renowned museums from Australia to the United States, perpetually seeking new forms and possibilities.
Driven by the simple concept that mass-produced objects and materials lose their exceptional beauty due to their quantity and widespread availability, as well as the indifference with which they are used and discarded, We Make Carpets seek out such objects – abrasive sponges, cheap forks, or clothespins – gather them in large quantities, and begin their glorious process of requalification.
The added value of We Make Carpets lies in inspiring those who view their installations, perhaps for the very first time, to appreciate the true beauty of objects they have already seen, used, and discarded hundreds of times.
As the We Make Carpets collective themselves said, “we were impressed by the high quality of the spaces, garments, and fabrics. The attention to detail of ISSEY MIYAKE in every aspect was clear to us. We immediately felt that attention to detail was something we had in common. As we planned the project, we decided that whatever path we took should be completely different from what we had seen on-site – so as not to compete with the wonderful garments on display – but at the same time, it should incorporate some of the aspects that inspired us: attention to detail, folds and creases, and the effect they have on materials with a high level of ‘touchability’ and ‘wantability.’
Inspired by all the Issey Miyake products we saw, with this project, we aim to blur the boundaries between art, design, and craftsmanship, showcasing something that resonates with one or all three together.”
