Akira Isogawa

Akira Isogawa (五十川明, Isogawa Akira, b. 25 December 1964) is one of Australia's most prominent contemporary fashion designers.

Early life

Born in Kyoto, Japan in 1964, he emigrated to Australia in 1986. He studied fashion at the East Sydney Technical College drawing inspiration from contemporary Japanese design.

Career

Isogawa opened a store in Woollahra, Sydney, 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, 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. He has also worked as a costume designer for the Sydney Dance Company.

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.

Honours

In 2005, he was honoured on a commemorative Australian postage stamp, along with other Australian fashion designers, Collette Dinnigan, Carla Zampatti, Joe Saba, Jenny Bannister and Prue Acton.

Footnotes