Akira Isogawa
Akira Isogawa was born in Kyoto, Japan in 1964. He studied Fashion Design at the East Sydney Technical College (now Sydney Institute of Technology) from 1988 to 1991 and opened his first fashion boutique in Sydney in 1993. His boutiques later appeared in Melbourne and Brisbane. His first integrated collection debuted in 1996 during Australian Fashion Week and by 1998, Akira was showing his collections in Paris.
During his career, Akira has collaborated with other designers and artists including designs for four productions with the Sydney Dance Company since 1998, one of which was Salome. He has designed uniforms for the Australian Chamber Orchestra, designed costumes for the Australian Ballet, and collaborated with furniture designer Fukutoshin Ueno for an exhibition at the Living Edge showroom in Brisbane. He has created three collections for Designer Rugs, and worked with QANTAS, Australian tea brand T2 and other commercial entities.
Akira’s contribution to the design discipline includes acting as a Honda ambassador, masterclass work with the Fashion Design Studio (NSW TAFE) and participation in internship programmes with national and international tertiary institutions. He has served on panels and juries associated with the fashion design industry and acted as a judge for the Australian Wool Fashion Awards and student competitions.
Amongst Akira’s accolades are Designer of the Year at the Australian Fashion Industry Awards (1999), an Australia Post stamp in his honour, the Award for Fashion Excellence at the National Retail Association Fashion Design Awards (2006) and the Australian Fashion Laureate Award for his contribution to the Australian Fashion Industry (2007). His work has been exhibited at the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV), Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) and most recently a retrospective at Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences (MAAS); Akira Isogawa: Unfolding a Life in Fashion, accompanied by a monograph of the same name.
Akira Isogawa is one of Australia’s most loved and celebrated designers. His work is collected by galleries and museums throughout Australia including the NGV, the Art Gallery of NSW and many private collections.
