PROFILES + Akira

Akira

New South Wales, Australia

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Akira

Akira Isogawa is one of Australia’s most celebrated designers.

He has achieved international recognition for his exquisite contemporary designs, which are sought after in every major fashion capital throughout the world.

Since 1998, Akira has shown his collections in Paris, where he presents Spring/Summer and Autumn/Winter collections to international buyers each year.

Akira continues to maintain a strong presence in Sydney, where he has shown collections at Mercedes Australian Fashion Week every year since 1996.
For the past decade the Akira boutique in Sydney has built a strong clientele spanning Australia’s most successful, individual and beautiful women.

In 1999, Akira was named Designer of the Year and Womenswear Designer of the Year at the Australian Fashion Industry Awards. In 2005 he was honoured by Australia Post and named an Australian Legend – his image appearing on a commemorative postage stamp.

Also in 2005 he was awarded Prix De Marie Claire Best Australian Designer. In 2006 Akira received the Award for Fashion Excellence at the National Retail Association Fashion Design Awards.

Akira’s work has been fondly embraced by the Australian arts sector. In 2004/05 Akira Isogawa: Printemps Ete opened at the National Gallery of Victoria – the first solo fashion and textiles exhibition by an Australian fashion designer to be presented at a major national or state institution (and still currently on tour in Asia). In 2003 Sydney Festival staged an exhibition of his garment construction techniques at Object Gallery, creating the most successful show in the gallery’s history. Akira has also been invited to exhibit at the Museum of Contemporary Art and twice has been included in the Powerhouse Museum’s Fashion of the Year retrospective.

He has designed costumes for four Sydney Dance Company productions – Salome, Air & Other Invisible Forces, Ellipse, Grand – and for the players in the Australian Chamber Orchestra.

Born in Kyoto Japan, Akira moved to Australia in 1986 where he studied fashion design at the Sydney Institute of Technology, drawing inspiration from contemporary Japanese design.
His work has been warmly received by fashion critics, drawing favourable reviews from leading figures such as Anna Piaggi and media including The New York Times and US Vogue.

Akira’s designs are available globally, at some of the world’s most famous stores.

Products

Ladies High End Fashion

Stockists

Store Locations:

Akira Boutique
12A Queen Street
Woollahra NSW 2025
T/F: +61 2 9361 5221

Strand Arcade
Level 2
412–414 George Street
Sydney NSW 2000
T/F: +61 2 9232 1078

GPO Melbourne
Level 1
350 Bourke Street
Melbourne VIC 3000
T/F: +61 3 9663 5003

Other Information

Philosophy

“A garment can transcend, giving it a soul.

“I translate fabrics into soft and romantic silhouettes, using natural fabrics like silks and cottons, which are kind to the skin.

“Distressing fabrics and alchemically treating them, gives the feeling of already ‘being loved’, thus evoking emotion. Even one-off fabrics found in flea markets can be given new life.

“Richly embellished fabrics echo Eastern influences, and I have great respect for their traditions. Inspiration can be found from the past – re-using vintage textiles and sometimes creating replicas of them, incorporated with specific craftsmanship.

“The number of hours someone has spent on manual work like this makes it priceless.

“I see craftsmanship as an implement with which to realise one’s vision. Past, present and future; that slogan continues in almost everything around which my work evolves. Timeless beauty and femininity in my design is profound, in a way for the wearer to express their inner soul.”

— Akira Isogawa

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