The Founding Of Issey Miyake Cologne

Issey Miyake's first fragrance, L'Eau d'Issey, was launched in 1992. The scent was created by perfumer Jacques Cavallier and was inspired by water. Miyake saw water as both the greatest material and the greatest source of inspiration. The name L'Eau d'Issey means 'Issey's water' in French and is a play on the word 'odyssey'. The bottle design was inspired by a full moon rising above the Eiffel Tower, which Miyake witnessed during a stay in Paris.

In 1994, Miyake launched L'Eau d'Issey Pour Homme, a men's fragrance inspired by spring water in nature. The scent was also created by Jacques Cavallier.

Issey Miyake's Early Life and Career

Issey Miyake was born Kazunaru Miyake on April 22, 1938, in Hiroshima, Japan. He was seven years old when the U.S. military dropped an atomic bomb on the city in 1945. Miyake kept this information private until 2009, when he disclosed it in support of Barack Obama's advocacy for global nuclear disarmament.

Miyake wanted to become a dancer as a child. He developed an interest in fashion by reading his sister's fashion magazines. He studied graphic design at the Tama Art University in Tokyo, graduating in 1964. Miyake entered designs into a fashion competition at the Bunka Fashion College in Tokyo but did not win due to his lack of pattern-making or sewing skills. After graduating, he moved to Paris and enrolled at the renowned tailoring and dressmaking school, École de la Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne.

Miyake began his career in 1966, working behind the scenes for French couturiers Guy Laroche and Hubert de Givenchy, as well as the American designer Geoffrey Beene. In 1969, he moved to New York City, where he met artists such as Christo and Robert Rauschenberg. He returned to Tokyo in 1970 and founded the Miyake Design Studio, a high-end producer of women's fashion.

Miyake respected artist Isamu Noguchi and was inspired by fashion designer Madeleine Vionnet's use of geometric calculations and "a single piece of beautiful cloth." He was also influenced by sculptors such as Constantin Brâncuși and Alberto Giacometti, whose works he saw in Paris museums.

In 1973, Miyake presented his own independent collection in a Paris group fashion show and developed the layered and wrapped look that became his trademark. Soon, his "East meets West" style, featuring T-shirts with Japanese tattoo designs and coats with Japanese embroidery, gained international recognition. Miyake became known for his unique fashion sense and technology-driven clothing designs, as well as his fragrances.

Miyake died of liver cancer on August 5, 2022, at the age of 84.

L'Eau d'Issey

The bottle's design is an unadorned cone with a metal neck in a matte finish, topped with a crystalline orb, which embodies a beauty that is essential. The name, in both its meaning and pronunciation, draws connections with Odyssey (the Greek epic poem said to be written by Homer about the journey of the wise, brave hero Odysseus), and connotes the start of Issey Miyake's journey into the world of perfumes.

The scent was followed by L'Eau d'Issey Pour Homme (for men) in 1994. L'Eau Bleue d'Issey Pour Homme was introduced in 2004; and its evolution, L'Eau Bleue d'Issey Eau Fraiche was introduced in 2006.

L'Eau d'Issey Pour Homme

The fragrance is described as having a universal Eau de Toilette that is perfect for any occasion. It evokes a sense of timeless freedom and serenity. It has a unique scent with very unusual and rare materials.

L'Eau d'Issey Pour Homme Intense

The scent is described as an edition introduced in 2007 in woody composition, designed by Jacques Cavallier. The top notes bring sweet and fresh waves of tangerine, bergamot, yuzu and orange. The heart notes create a rhythm of blue lotus, camphor, cardamom, cinnamon and saffron, together with nutmeg, while base notes finish the composition with accords of incense, amber, benzoin, papyrus and grey amber.

Le Sel d'Issey

The scent is inspired by the sea and salt and is described as a "salt-sprayed voyage" and a "tribute to the salt of life." It is said to be a "revitalizing fragrance born between the Ocean and the earth."

The bottle is silver with a blue liquid inside.

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