MIYAKE ECO-FRIENDLY ORIGAMI LINE BEATS DUCHESS WEDDING GOWN AT “DESIGN OSCARS”
The awards honor designs and designers across a wide variety of disciplines, including architecture, furniture and fashion, with winners from each category, and one overall winner, chosen by a panel of experts.
In the fashion category, Burton had been nominated for the wedding gown she created for Britain’s Duchess of Cambridge, while esteemed creators such as Mary Katrantzou and Phoebe Philo had also been in the running for a prize — but the innovation behind Miyake’s collection ensured a victory. Created with the assistance of software that creates flat geometric shapes from single sheets that open into 3D creations, the 132 5. collection comprises wearable dresses that can also be folded flat, origami-style. This isn’t the first time the art of origami has inspired the fashion world, as Belgian designer Alexandra Verschueren scooped the main prize at the prestigious fashion and photography festival in Hyères with an origami-inspired collection back in 2010. Miyake’s 132 5. collection also boasts green credentials — dresses are made out of recyclable materials such as polyester processed from plastic bottles. This is particularly on trend at the moment, with labels such as Paul Smith, Lanvin and Armani embracing sustainable fashion as part of eco-fashion campaigner Livia Firth’s Green Carpet Challenge. Firth famously wore an Armani gown partly made from recycled plastic bottles to the Golden Globes back in January.