Issey Miyake set to land in Milan

However surprising this may seem, Issey Miyake does not yet operate a store in Italy, where the fashion label is highly popular. In the last few years, Italy has become the Japanese label's top export destination in Europe, ahead of Germany, northern Europe and France.

The lack of a direct presence in the country will soon be a thing of the past, with the opening of Issey Miyake's first Italian store in Milan. The premises are large, with at least three shop-windows overlooking the street, and are located within Palazzo Reina, at 12 Via Bagutta, in the city's prestigious 'luxury quadrilateral', the central area home to most luxury brands.

The palazzo was built by the Reina family between 1826 and 1831, and was sold to the city of Milan in 1921. An investment company bought the building in 2014 and has entirely renovated it, preserving its original style. Issey Miyake has announced in a press release that it will be the building's first tenant.

The new store will be opened in February 2017 and will host all of the label's main lines, from clothing to accessories: Issey Miyake, Issey Miyake Men, Pleats Please, Homme Plissé, Bao Bao and 132 5 Issey Miyake.

The store's interior design was commissioned to Japanese artist and designer Tokujin Yoshioka, who has already worked on other Miyake stores, in London for example.

Including the forthcoming opening in Italy, Issey Miyake currently operates six directly owned stores in Europe (two in London, two in Paris and one in Zurich), plus two stores in New York and about ten in Asia.

Issey Miyake set to land in Milan

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