clouds architecture office: issey miyake's 'pleats please' store

issey miyake’s ‘pleats please’ store in soho, new york has undergone its first major redesign since its opening thirteen years ago. designed by clouds architecture office, the store looks to reflect the spirit of the international fashion brand in an ethereal and adaptable environment. the collection, conceived in 1993, has a radical but practical approach to manufacturing, which reverses the typical order of pleat, cut, sew.

all images courtesy of clouds architecture office

the design, an innovative yet functional space, interprets the unique pleats collection into an architectural reality. through an inverse methodology, three-dimensional forms are compressed and captured into flat planes which serve to expand the perceived boundaries of the shop.

display

a soft palette of reflective surfaces creates an ephemeral composition that displaces the user’s sense of space and depth. acting as a backdrop for the clothing, the environment features clean and simple lines, perforated display units and partitions and a subtle but dominant focus wall. 

mirrored walls reflect the contents of the store

imagined as a highly flexible space, the small store houses a series of solutions that include sub-dividable and expandable dressing rooms and universal and multifunctional display units.

feature wall

exterior storefront

diagram