When Issey Miyake launched an inventive new concept line in 1998, tech-forward programming had yet to mature into the monolithic platforms of increasingly adept AI we see today. Even so, Miyake saw an untapped potential in the world wide web of computers, and his creation of A-POC (which stands for ‘a piece of cloth’) ABLE harnessed the abilities of developmental software to create an entirely new form of garment construction. Through computer programming, a single piece of thread could now generate an entire piece of clothing, and stacks upon stacks of code could design concise cuts and folds. 

Courtesy of Issey Miyake

Nearly thirty years later, A-POC is venturing into a new realm altogether — not to worry,  programming and pleats still prevail. For Milan Design Week, Issey Miyake’s flagship store will host a collaborative exhibition alongside Swiss-based design studio, atelier oï, renowned for their work in architecture and product design. The installation, titled TYPE-XIII, showcases two distinct lighting prototypes born from the efforts of the atelier and A-POC ABLE ISSEY MIYAKE: a novel concept combining a singular piece of wire and ‘a piece of cloth’ to produce a lighting fixture rooted in the avant-garde. 

Courtesy of Issey Miyake

The O series, a portable lighting series co-developed with Japanese manufacturer Ambientec, is grounded in human sensibility; a functional light product permits users to move the piece freely through their daily routines. In the same way we arrange a bouquet of delicate orchids and calla lilies in accordance with the surrounding space, the lighting piece can be willingly arranged depending on one’s mood and whims. And just like a singular blooming flower, a pattern of organic pleats gently diffuses light. 

Courtesy of Issey Miyake

Constructed out of an oval wire frame, the O series lampshade is swathed in recycled polyester “Steam Stretch” material, an innovative technique that pre-weaves design elements into a piece of cloth which then shrinks upon exposure to heat. A delicate three-dimensional pleated texture results. 

Courtesy of Issey Miyake

The A series, on the other hand, is made using seamless knit fabric (a hallmark of A-POC), with lampshades pre-knitted into a roll of fabric that subsequently takes on a three-dimensional form when wire frames are inserted. The interconnected knitted shades can be cut at various spots to create different shapes or to join together as a double or triple light fixture, spawning a design decidedly futuristic with licks of customizable playfulness. 

The exhibition will be on display from April 8-13 at ISSEY MIYAKE / MILAN Via Bagutta 12, 20121 Milano Italy.