Japanese fashion designer Issey Miyake has died aged 84

Japanese fashion designer Issey Miyake has died aged 84, it has been confirmed.

Miyake Design Studio and the Issey Miyake group said in a brief statement that he lost his battle to hepatocellular carcinoma, a form of liver cancer, in a Tokyo hospital on 5 August.

The group said he was 'surrounded by close friends and associates' at the time of his passing, adding that there will be no funeral or memorial services, per Miyake's wishes, WWD reports.

No further details have been released at the time of writing.

Miyake founded his eponymous clothing brand back in 1971, with his innovative collections transcending generations and genres.

As well as his patented pleated style of clothing, the designer is famed for producing the iconic black turtleneck worn by his friend and the late Apple founder Steve Jobs.

Under his fashion brand, Miyake expanded his range with bags, watches and fragrances for men and women, including L'Eau d'Issey, which was launched in 1992 and became a best-seller.

Miyake retired from the fashion world in 1997, although he continued to oversee the direction of all lines, allowing his legacy to continue throughout the years.

Tributes continue to pour in for the late fashion icon, with one writing on Twitter: "RIP Issey Miyake. A brilliant, original mind.

"Lightness, form, movement, tenderness always. A language of their own that felt both simpler and more advanced than any contemporary. A genius of body, colour, motion and nature, a gift to all of us."

Another wrote: "RIP issey miyake – thinking of the time my sister and I stumbled into his making things exhibit in France and saw piles of clothes on the floor pulled up by a string w/ a motor and then shaken to dance. Each piece moved in a different way. Pure delight."

A third shared a quote once said by Miyake, which reads: "All of my work stems from the simplest of ideas that go back to the earliest civilisations: making clothing from one piece of cloth. It is my touchstone. I believe that all forms of creativity are related."

His insights on creativity mirror a previous interview in which he discussed his upbringing, having survived the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima in 1945, when he was just seven years old.

In a 2009 article for The New York Times, Miyake described how his mother died from radiation exposure within three years of the bombing while calling for nuclear disarmament.

However, he said he avoided talking about the ordeal in the past as he wanted to be remembered for more than just being 'the designer who survived the atomic bomb'.

"I have never chosen to share my memories or thoughts of that day," wrote Miyake. "I have tried, albeit unsuccessfully, to put them behind me, preferring to think of things that can be created, not destroyed, and that bring beauty and joy.

"I gravitated toward the field of clothing design, partly because it is a creative format that is modern and optimistic."

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