is an

Australian Australian(s) may refer to: Australia * Australia, a country * Australians, citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia ** European Australians ** Anglo-Celtic Australians, Australians descended principally from British colonists ** Aboriginal A ...

contemporary fashion designer.

Early life

Born in

Kyoto Kyoto (; Japanese language, Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in Japan. Located in the Kansai region on the island of Honshu, Kyoto forms a part of the Keihanshin, Keihanshin metropolitan area along wi ...

, Japan in 1964, he emigrated to Australia in 1986 at the age of 21. In his early 20s, Isogawa worked in Japanese restaurants and as a tour guide. He studied fashion at the East Sydney Technical College, drawing inspiration from contemporary Japanese design.

Career

Isogawa opened a store in

Woollahra Woollahra is a suburb in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Woollahra is located 5 kilometres east of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the Municipality of Woolla ...

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...

, in 1993. By the late 1990s, he was known internationally. His clothes appear under his own label and are sold in Australia and New Zealand, and 10 other countries. He is one of the few Australian designers to exhibit and sell his clothing in

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

, His commercial fashion label, ''Akira'', concentrates on women's fashion.

Other

Isogawa's designs have been exhibited in a number of major Australian galleries. A number of his lavish costume creations while a student survive in a catalogued retrospective of the RAT Party era kept at Sydney's

Powerhouse Museum The Powerhouse Museum is the major branch of the Museum of Applied Arts & Sciences (MAAS) in Sydney, the others being the historic Sydney Observatory at Observatory Hill, and the newer Museums Discovery Centre at Castle Hill. Although often de ...

. He has also worked as a costume designer for the

Sydney Dance Company Sydney Dance Company is a contemporary dance company in Australia. The company has performed on stages around the world, including the Sydney Opera House in Australia, the Joyce Theater in New York, the Shanghai Grand Theatre in China, and the ...

. In 1999, Australian Fashion Industry Awards named Isogawa as a Designer of the Year and Womenswear Designer of the Year. Isogawa has also designed three rug collections with Designer Rugs, using prints from his fashion designs. The first collection launched in 2005, followed by 'Kisetsu' in 2007, and "Hirameki' in 2012. Isogawa has a passion for animals and incorporates his beliefs into his design philosophy. "I consider myself a compassionate member of society. I understand that our actions impact on all living beings and wonder why we resort to such cruelty when there are so many man-made materials that we can use." In 2011, he joined the council of Voiceless, the animal protection institute. Sydney's Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences showed the retrospective ''Akira Isogawa'' in 2018–2019, and his work was included in the Victoria and Albert Museum's 2020 exhibition ''Kimono: Kyoto to Catwalk'' in London.

Honours

In 2005, he was honoured on a commemorative Australian postage stamp, along with other Australian fashion designers,

Collette Dinnigan Collette Mary Ann Dinnigan (born 24 September 1965) is an Australian based fashion designer. Born in South Africa, Dinnigan moved to New Zealand, then Australia, where she obtained work with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. She opened ...

Carla Zampatti Carla Maria Zampatti , (19 May 1942 – 3 April 2021) was an Italian-born Australian fashion designer and businesswoman, and executive chair of the fashion label Carla Zampatti Limited. Background Born in Lovero, Italy in 1942, Zampatti se ...

Joe Saba Joe Saba (born 1940) is an Australian fashion designer and fashion business owner of Lebanese descent. Saba started his fashion business in 1965 with the opening a store in 287 Flinders Lane Melbourne called the Joseph Saba Shirt and Sweater ...

Jenny Bannister Jenny Bannister is an Australian fashion designer, based in Melbourne. Early life Bannister was born in 1954 in Mildura, Victoria to parents Owen and Peg. As a teenager she moved to Melbourne with her sister Wendy. Bannister studied Fashion Desi ...

and

Prue Acton Prue Acton, OBE (born 26 April 1943) is an Australian fashion designer, often referred to as "Australia's golden girl of fashion" during the 1960s. Early life Prudence Leigh Acton was born in Benalla, Victoria and educated at Firbank Anglican ...

. In 2005, Isogawa was depicted on the 'Australian Legends' series of stamps issued by Australia Post and in 2007 he was named the country's first Fashion Laureate.

Footnotes

External links

Akira label website

Akira Isogawa exhibition
at the

National Gallery of Victoria The National Gallery of Victoria, popularly known as the NGV, is an art museum in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Founded in 1861, it is Australia's oldest and most visited art museum. The NGV houses an encyclopedic art collection across two ...

. *
Akira SS 08/09 collection gallery - Harper's BAZAAR

Three Layer Cake interview with Akira

Interview with Akira Isogawa on Australian Edge

Profile on Akira Isogawa

Akira Isogawa Rugs
{{DEFAULTSORT:Isogawa, Akira 1964 births Living people People from Kyoto Japanese emigrants to Australia Australian fashion designers People from Sydney Bukkyo University alumni