Clothing brand A-Poc Able Issey Miyake and design studio Atelier Oï have unveiled delicate lighting at Milan design week, fashioned from wire and a single piece of off-white cloth.
Opening today at Milan’s flagship Issey Miyake store, the TYPE-XIII Atelier Oï project exhibition brings together two lighting collections – the O series and the A series.
The project is the lovechild of the Japanese clothing brand’s experimental arm A-Poc Able and Swiss studio Atelier Oï, marking the fashion house’s first lighting project.
APOC stands for A Piece of Cloth and refers to a computer-programmed manufacturing technique introduced by the late designer Issey Miyake in the 1990s, in which garments are cut out of a single tubular piece of fabric.
The O series features organically shaped table lamp shades made of meticulously pleated recycled polyester, informed by “the beauty and delicacy” of petals, arranged around an oval wire frame engineered by Atelier Oï.
To create the portable lighting, the team used A-Poc Able’s steam stretch technique, which applies heat and steam to flat textiles to transform them into intricate three-dimensional pleated structures. Each element is detachable and can be laid flat and stored when not in use.
“Just as people arrange flowers in a space to suit the season or welcome guests, this lighting series allows users to carry and arrange the lights freely, adapting them to different moods and environments,” A-Poc Able head designer Yoshiyuki Miyamae told Dezeen.
Also informed by flowers, the A series was created with the brand’s traditional APOC technique and features a pendant lamp shade made of a tube of cloth, fitted with a wire insert to give the lighting its three-dimensional form.
Miyamae explained that the knitted shade was designed with cuts so that multiple shades could be joined together to create a double or triple light fixture, allowing for customisation.
“This series translates the innovative potential of APOC knit into lighting design,” said the designer.
For the exhibition, the team is presenting the O and the A series as installations placed throughout the store, including a mannequin wearing a dress with an extended train created with the APOC technique.
“The dress extends into a connected lighting structure, capturing the seamless evolution of our design philosophy,” explained Miyamae.
The designer stressed the potential of using minimal materials to create intricate pieces.
“By simplifying the design concept, we create a sense of a gap or blank space, or ma and yohaku in Japanese, that enhances the surrounding elements,” he said.
“In Japanese culture, the ideas of ma and yohaku are not merely empty spaces; rather, they serve to enhance the presence of objects and enrich the creativity of those who see and use them.”
Miyamae also considered the significance of presenting the exhibition at Milan design week, an event he described as “the perfect place for us to engage in conversations about design and to present new projects to the world.”
“We place great importance on the design process,” he added. “We aim to extend the know-how and ideas cultivated through clothing design into various aspects of everyday life, further expanding the scope of Issey Miyake’s design and making.”
Milan design week has kicked off across the Italian city. Ahead of the event, Dezeen’s editor at large Amy Frearson identified seven key trends to look out for at the many exhibitions taking place throughout the week.
Architects and designers including David Chipperfield, Daniel Libeskind, Audrey Large and Philippe Starck have created funeral urns for an exhibition called The Last Pot hosted by Italian brand Il Tornitore Matto by Alessi.
The photography is by Issey Miyake Inc.
Type-XIII Atelier Oï project by A-Poc Able Issey Miyake takes place from 8 and 13 April 2025 at Issey Miyake, Via Bagutta 12, 20121 Milan, Italy. See our Milan design week 2025 guide on Dezeen Events Guide for information about the many other exhibitions, installations and talks taking place throughout the week.
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