Issey come, easy go
In the 2004 Pet Shop Boys song Flamboyant, the one designer mentioned by name was no other than Issey Miyake. Beyond the technology-driven clothes and pleats he’s become notorious for, he’s also a fashion conglomerate unto himself. Born in 1938 in Hiroshima; even though the individual collections are now designed by his staff, he still oversees the overall direction of all the lines — whether they be Issey Miyake Women’s and Men’s, Fete, Pleats Please, me (or Cauliflower), HaaT, the Watches or the Perfumes. The fragrances are produced by a division of Shiseido, and they’ve long been part of the iconic statement and vision that is singularly Miyake’s.
For 2009, the Limited Editions of the L’Eau d’Issey Pour Homme and Pour Homme Intense had them encasing the bottles in real concrete, playfully merging Fashion and Design with Art, and calling them the “On the Rock” edition. In fact, this inventiveness and whimsical nature is also evident in how Miyake first called his fragrances L’Eau d’Issey, a play on the word “odyssey.” No real change in the scents, as they’re signature scents of the line, but the novel packaging gives us something new for the year.
His Eau d’Ete Summer Editions have always been favorites of mine, as they’re lighter, fresher and more appropriate for our tropical weather. This year, the transparent bottles and multi-colored letterings wonderfully scream “Summer,” reflecting the hues of a vibrant garden. The one for Men has top notes of Yuzu and Mandarin Orange, with shades of Cardamom and Sage, balanced by Vetiver and Ambergris. And the Ladies’ version is a veritable bottled floral bouquet, with head notes of Lotus, Freesia, Cyclamen, Carnations, Peonies and White Lilies, tempered by base notes of Amberseed and White Musk.
I mentioned Shiseido as producing the Miyake fragrance line, and one new product of Shiseido Men, is the Facial Contour Refiner — something all us aging specimens should take into consideration. If the five main age-related changes are sagging skin, loss of firmness, double chin, dry skin and fine lines around the eyes, the Contour Refiner, a high performance emulsion, is ready to help us combat the first three of these changes. It contains Yeast Extract, which enhances the tightening of collagen fibers — collagen being the one that keeps our skin resilient and firm. There are also Vitamin E derivatives that help keep our face moisturized and healthy-looking.
Miyake and Shiseido, a great partnership in the fragrances category, and definitely worth checking out!
