Issey Miyake, who pleated his way into fashion history — though he preferred to be known as a designer of clothes, not fashion — died on August 5 at the age of 84, the Miyake Design Studio announced today. Miyake reigned for more than 50 years as one of the greatest designers of his generation, revered by his fellow designers and by the artists, architects, and thinkers who were loyal — in some cases, to the point of exclusivity, nearly cultishly so — to his clothes. Kazunaru “Issey” Miyake was born in Hiroshima on April 22, 1938, and seven years later was present when the atomic bomb devastated the city. His mother died three years later from radiation poisoning, and Miyake to the end of his life preferred not to talk about the experience, though he remembered it vividly. After studying graphic design in Tokyo, he moved to Paris and the school of the Chambre Syndicale de la Couture. In Paris, he worked in the ateliers of Guy Laroche and Hubert de Givenchy, but he was equally impressed by the student revolutions of May 1968, which he witnessed firsthand. Couture was stuffy; young people protesting in T-shirts and blue jeans struck him as more modern. After a vacation in New York, he gave his notice to Givenchy and returned to the city to work for the American master Geoffrey Beene. Six months later, he returned to Tokyo. In 1970, he founded Miyake Design Studio. Head to the link in bio to read more about his life, work, and legacy. Photos via @gettyimages | @brigittelacombe, Miyake Design Studio