How A-POC ABLE turned fabric into light together with Atelier oï

On the occasion of Milan Design Week 2025, Issey Miyake presented the TYPE-XIII Atelier oï project, an immersive installation that blended textile experimentation, light, and design. The result of a collaboration between A-POC ABLE ISSEY MIYAKE and the Swiss studio atelier oï, the project explores new horizons in design, pushing the boundaries of fabric far beyond clothing. "Fabric already had vast potential, but on our own we wouldn’t have been able to fully explore it. This collaboration is like a journey: we needed the right partner to go beyond," Yoshiyuki Miyamae, head designer of A-POC ABLE ISSEY MIYAKE, explained to us a few days before the event. At the heart of the project is the idea of combining a metal thread and a piece of fabric to create two series of lamps. The result is a unique language that combines lightness, functionality, and poetry, reflecting the philosophy of A-POC (A Piece of Cloth), the innovative textile design system launched by Issey Miyake in 1998. With A-POC ABLE, introduced in 2021, the brand has opened the A-POC method to dialogue with other fields, with the goal of creating objects that improve everyday life through conscious and cross-disciplinary design. Working in design, as Yoshiyuki told us, was different from working in fashion: "In fashion design everything is fast-paced, you think in terms of six months for each collection," he explained. "Here we had time to discuss the process, not just the outcome. It's a completely different approach, almost meditative." In fact, the development of the presented lamps took two years.

The O Series, developed in collaboration with the Japanese brand Ambientec, is a collection of portable lamps that centers on human interaction with light. The metal wire structure encloses a textile lampshade made with Steam Stretch technology: a technique in which heat-reactive threads are activated by warmth, creating a three-dimensional pleated effect. This technology is already typical of many garments conceived by Issey Miyake, in line with a philosophy that, along with simplicity, also embraces the universality of products. "In the West, there are clothes for every occasion," the designer explained to us, "whereas Issey-san’s garments have always aimed to be universal, giving freedom to the wearer." The same line of thinking was followed in the creation of a portable lamp, whose shape can be altered at will and which fits seamlessly into today’s increasingly multifunctional homes—though its concept harks back to traditional Japanese houses, where spaces, volumes, and functions can be redefined with the simple sliding of a panel. "In Japan, architecture and space are very flexible. Imagine a Japanese house, with tatami mats and sliding doors," Miyamae told us. "Spaces change, they move. These lamps are inspired by that same freedom: they can be placed anywhere, without being intrusive." Easy to fold and move, the O Series evokes a sense of intimacy and adaptability, making it perfect for ever-changing and personal environments.

Another type of lamp, the A Series, created in collaboration with the Spanish brand PARACHILNA, features modular seamless knit lampshades—one of A-POC's key techniques. The lamps take shape through the insertion of metal structures and can be cut or combined to create new configurations. "This design is born from a principle of freedom: like A-POC garments, these lamps can adapt to any moment—from an elegant dinner to a yoga session. It’s a universal object." The result is a playful and intuitive visual language that transforms each lamp into a unique composition. Fabric is no longer just a covering, but becomes structure, function, and meaning. Or, in Miyamae’s words: "Fabric can also become structure, not just surface. Like the Bao Bao Bag: the fabric is the object."

A-POC ABLE is a project that goes beyond aesthetics: it is an ongoing exploration of the value of materials and the possibility of building bridges between disciplines. When it comes to design, Miyamae said that in the future he would like to develop chairs, for example. But the A-POC ABLE team has already initiated dialogues with space engineers and biotechnologists, opening up new possibilities for the application of smart textiles. "This fabric is so light and flexible that it could be taken into space. And if you think about it, it's not so different from what we already do: connecting fashion, design, and science to create something that improves life." At the heart of it all is the material itself—to be understood, listened to, and respected. Atelier oï and A-POC ABLE have built a project born from hands-on experimentation, direct contact with materials, and the desire to discover what design can become when it abandons boundaries and transforms into experience. "In our studio, that’s always the starting point: understanding the material. It’s not just about creating a beautiful product, but about discovering its truth—its texture, its structure, its soul. Only then can something truly unique be born."