When Issey Miyake began stepping back from day-to-day leadership in the late 1990s, he entrusted Naoki Takizawa with the stewardship of the house’s ready-to-wear and research-driven lines. A long-time member of the Miyake studio, Takizawa was tasked with turning the brand’s textile experiments into seasonal collections that could reach shops and customers, making Issey Miyake relevant to the 2000s market. Rather than a stylistic revolutionist, he was known as a careful interpreter who upheld Miyake’s experimental language while adapting it for contemporary fashion.

Takizawa’s work emphasized material-first thinking and engineered construction, treating fabric as the foundation of silhouette. His collections explored modular shapes, flowing geometry, and textiles that responded to light and movement. 

Compared to Miyake’s sculptural theatricality, Takizawa’s silhouettes were gentler and more organic, yet still rooted in the same pursuit of structure and innovation. He refined pleating and pattern-cutting techniques so that complex processes became fluid and wearable, balancing technical innovation with commercial accessibility.

After stepping down in 2006 and being succeeded by Dai Fujiwara, Takizawa broadened his practice into applied design and collaboration. He founded his own studio, worked with Helmut Lang and Uniqlo’s LifeWear, and undertook special commissions for Wong Kar Wai and Empress Michiko. His tenure is remembered as one of thoughtful continuity, preserving the house’s experimental ethos while ensuring its evolution. The systems he refined became the groundwork for successors like Dai Fujiwara and Yoshiyuki Miyamae.

From his Spring Summer 2005 collection, this pair of wide legged pants features a seasonal exclusive houndstooth and plaid pleat motif while capturing Takizawa’s precise balance between experimentation and wearability.

Tagged Size M 

Measurements:
Length: 99cm
Rise: 36cm
Inseam: 64cm
Waist: 32cm
Thighs: 28cm
Opening: 26cm