Bodice

Issey Miyake

fall/winter 1980–81 · plastic (polyester resin, cellulose nitrate), acrylic · Costume Institute

Issey Miyake’s plastic bustier, the finale of his autumn/winter 1980–81 collection, became a focal point of his “Bodyworks” exhibition, which toured internationally from 1983 to 1985. The installation featured designs that highlight Miyake’s interest in exploring the relationship between clothing and the body and his experiments with unorthodox materials, including plastic, rattan, and wire. The bustier, molded on a woman’s torso, subverts the idea of clothing as a covering separate from the body. It reveals the contours of the female form in detail, creating a second skin that transitions into a short peplum of fabric-like folds at the hips.

Artist

Issey Miyake

Date

fall/winter 1980–81

Medium

plastic (polyester resin, cellulose nitrate), acrylic

Culture

Japanese

Department

Costume Institute

Credit line

Purchase, Friends of The Costume Institute Gifts, 2015