This jacket was designed by Issey Miyake (born 1938). Miyake established the Miyake Design Studio in Tokyo in 1970 after serving an apprenticeship in Europe and New York. He is a leading international fashion designer whose garments are often inspired by aspects of Japanese tradition, culture and aesthetics. Along with Yohji Yamamoto and Rei Kawakubo, Issey Miyake stunned the fashion establishment in the early 1980s with collections that challenged conventional (Western) notions of dress, revoking traditional forms of tailored garments intended to fit body contours. The designs of their garments were often monochromatic asymmetrical, unstructured and oversized.
Since the mid 1970s Miyake has consitently researched materials and technologies and together with textiles designers including Mikiko Minagawa has created innovative new fabrics.
The piece forms part of The Gene Sherman Collection of Japanese fashion and accessories, with a focus on the work of Issey Miyake, Yohji Yanamoto, Comme des Garçons and the Japanese-Australian designer Akira Isogawa, formed from the mid 1980s to 2004. The Collection reflects Sherman's individual style as well as her appreciation of Japanese design. Dr Gene Sherman is Director of Sherman Contemporary Art Foundation (SCAF) in Paddington, Sydney. Its predecessor, Sherman Galleries, founded in 1986, was one of Australia's major commercial art galleries until its closure in 2007. As director of Sherman Galleries, Dr Sherman organised many exhibitions of contemporary art from Australia and the Asia-Pacific region and has played an important role connecting art and artists in Australia and the Asia-Pacific region. Dr Gene Sherman was a trustee of the Powerhouse Museum from 1995 to 2001 and special advisor to the Museum from 2002 to 2004. Born in South Africa, Sherman lives in Sydney with her husband Brian Sherman.
Ref. Mitchell, Louise (ed), The Cutting Edge. Fashion from Japan, exh. cat., Powerhouse Publishing, Sydney, 2005
Dr Gene Sherman has been collecting avant-garde Japanese fashion for over 20 years. Dr Sherman bought her first pieces of Japanese clothing at Rhonda Parry's boutique in Double Bay in the mid 1980s. Since then, she has primarily worn clothes designed by Issey Miyake, Yohji Yamamoto and Rei Kawakubo of Comme des Garçons. Gene Sherman maintains a wearing wardrobe of approximately 20 pieces. She has said "when I acquire something, I retire a piece into my archive". Sherman had boxes made to museum standards and stored 'retired' pieces from the collection in her attic.
Referring to this garment Gene Sherman said: "Miyake, Issey. Net jacket with hood. Five Way Fusion 1998. Never worn. Shown in "Tokyo Vogue" Brisbane Oct 1999. See attatched documentation." (Gene Sherman collection note book 2009/16/62)
"This is a fishnet, three-quarter jacket with rainbow coloured binding under the arms and around the pockets. It's completely see-through. There is a hood and a semi transparent fishnet effect... I don't know how this effect was achieved. It is quite scratchy and it's the one garment in the exhibiting wardrobe that I never wore. It was a mistake. I have made few mistakes …This was clearly one of them."
"...it was uncomfortable. I wear my clothes to work. I wear them at home. I wear them to the park...Unusually I bought this at Five Way Fusion in Paddington, just round the corner from the Gallery. Paul Jellard, the owner of that shop came to the gallery regularly. I began to feel guilty about Paul because I felt that I was travelling to Tokyo and he was bringing these garments in from Tokyo at huge expense. Shops generally take fashion on consignment - and there was, and still is, though it's now growing, a tiny community in Australia interested in these clothes. From his perspective I was around the corner rushing off to Tokyo to buy what he was importing. I wanted to support Paul." (Interview with Gene Sherman by Claire Roberts, 15 December 2008)
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