minä perhonen is a brand founded by designer Akira Minagawa (1967–). Under the brand’s concept of “special clothing for everyday life,” Minagawa creates fashion with universal value, which does not follow trends and can be enjoyed for many years. Fostering relationships with fabric manufacturers around the nation, Minagawa sticks with his craftsmanship to create products using his own original textiles.
Minagawa started a fashion brand minä in 1995 (the name was changed to “minä perhonen” in 2003) with an aspiration to establish a brand that would continue at least for 100 years. Since then, the sphere of his creative activities has expanded from fashion to home décor, to tableware, and eventually, to all aspects of everyday life. At present, Minagawa’s activity is extending into the field based on hospitality, going beyond the realm of design. His tireless journey of creation will mark the 25th anniversary in 2020 during the exhibition period.
The title of the exhibition, Tsuzuku, literally translates to the “temporal continuity” of the brand. At the same time, the word connotes “connection,” “linkage,” “joining hands,” and “circulation,” which conjures the image of creative energy generated by the interaction of people and things.
“Tsuzuku” with multiple meanings as the key word, the exhibition will showcase various aspects of the brand’s creation in the gallery. The exhibits will include not only products, such as textiles, clothes, interior goods, and tableware, but also artworks and materials, such as video, printed materials, and Minagawa’s original design drawings and illustrations to shed light on what underlies these creations. This is the first exhibition which introduces creativity and philosophy of minä perhonen and Akira Minagawa, and is held on this scale; it will surely offer new perspectives and suggestions on our daily lives and our society.