Issey Miyake And Ensamble Studio Present "The Paper Log: Shell And Core”

Summary

• Issey Miyake has partnered with Spanish architecture office Ensamble Studio for an exploratory Milan Design Week project
• The installation reappropriates compressed paper rolls, a byproduct of the brand’s signature garment pleating process
• Showcased at the ISSEY MIYAKE / MILAN store, the exhibition features memory objects and furniture prototypes

Issey Miyake has officially unveiled “The Paper Log: Shell and Core,” a collaborative installation developed alongside architecture firm Ensamble Studio for Milan Design Week 2026. Running from April 21 to May 5, the exploratory exhibition recontextualizes the discarded byproducts of the Japanese label’s signature garment pleating technology into compelling spatial and structural works.

Conceived by MIYAKE DESIGN STUDIO design director Satoshi Kondo, the project breathes new life into “Paper Logs” — compressed rolls of wafer-thin paper originally intended for transportation and recycling. The installation is divided into two contrasting yet complementary sections. The “Shell” segment, crafted by Ensamble Studio, features crisp paper objects frozen in time, sculpted using sheets peeled from the logs and treated with hardening agents to crystallize every wrinkle and crease.

Conversely, the “Core” section showcases work from the in-house project team, highlighting furniture prototypes like stools, chairs, and tables. These functional pieces explore the raw materiality of the logs, utilizing treatments such as soaking the paper in wax, painting it with glue, or tying it into robust bundles. Operating at the intersection of design and architecture, the collaborative effort transforms a secondary material into a profound study of form, memory, and permanence.

“The Paper Log: Shell and Core” installation will be open to the public from April 21 through May 5 at the ISSEY MIYAKE / MILAN store located at Via Bagutta 12.