Yoshiyuki Miyamae & Eugene Kangawa: A-POC ABLE ISSEY MIYAKE — light, shadow, and the space between

There are few spaces in fashion where ideas are allowed to breathe, to evolve over time and unfold at their own pace. That’s what makes A-POC, the line established by Issey Miyake in 1998, so remarkable. A-POC, was launched in 1998 by Issey Miyake and A-POC ABLE ISSEY MIYAKE, in 2021. The concept of A-POC is continued by Yoshiyuki Miyamae and his team, carries forward this vision by building on the original A-POC (1998) techniques to explore new forms of creation. The word “ABLE” was added to express the ability to act, innovate, and create together, weaving connections between creators, wearers, and various fields. 

For its latest endeavor, the Type-XIV Eugene Studio project, the label partnered with artist Eugene Kangawa, whose work often employs natural processes such as sun exposure to fade color and gelatin silver prints. The collaboration culminates in an exhibition of art and fashion in dialogue, revealing both the works themselves and the intricate processes behind them. Coinciding with this year’s Art Basel Paris, the show opens this October in a space designed by architect Tsuyoshi Tane — a fitting environment where art-making and garment-making converge through shared explorations of light and shadow.

In this interview, hube speaks with Miyamae and Kangawa about the philosophies shaping the project, the humanity at the core of creation, and the delicate balance between light and shadow.

hube: What was the process of putting together an exhibition that fuses brand and artist identities?

Yoshiyuki Miyamae: The brand A-POC ABLE ISSEY MIYAKE was founded in 2021. The basic concept is built around the idea of a piece of cloth, not only as a material but as thought. We try to expand the potential of that thought through collaboration and collective process. While our internal team develops ideas, we believe that true evolution only happens when we add new perspectives and new ways of seeing the world. That’s why we’ve been working with experts and creators across different fields.

We began collaborating with Eugene Kangawa when we launched the brand in 2021. We resonated deeply with his way of looking at things, his sense of beauty, and his philosophy. Instead of rushing into a typical “fashion collaboration,” we spent nearly two years visiting each other’s ateliers, developing mutual understanding before creating anything tangible. That process of understanding each other was essential to what this project became.

h: Eugene, there’s a poetic vulnerability in your work. It contains something tactile and intimate that also exists in clothing. How do you see garments as a medium? Do you feel they hold memory or the body in a similar way to your art?

Eugene Kangawa: What resonated most for me was that, despite ISSEY MIYAKE’s mathematical and precise approach to making, there’s always a human being at the center. Beneath the structure, there’s emotion. That was the biggest point of connection.

This project grew out of my Light and Shadow Inside Me series. The “me” in the title isn’t necessarily myself; it represents existence more broadly. Everything that exists is defined by the coexistence of light and shadow. That idea extends to humanity, to society, and to all things. In that sense, my philosophy aligns with that of ISSEY MIYAKE: people are always at the center. Through this collaboration, I discovered new possibilities, new directions for my practice. Working with a brand that carries such a long and rich history, I was able to see how ideas evolve through time. It reaffirmed that the path I’ve been following creatively isn’t wrong.

The project also opened new questions: how far back can an idea go, to the Edo period perhaps, and how far into the future can it project? The process was archaeological and forward-looking at once. The architect Tsuyoshi Tane, who designed the exhibition space, worked closely with us to research and integrate the historical and conceptual layers behind both the artworks and the garments.