SO–IL completes "clean, precise, audacious" Issey Miyake store in New York

Brooklyn architecture studio SO–IL has transformed a cavernous space inside the neo-gothic New York Life building into a flagship store for Issey Miyake.

The store on Madison Avenue provides a new home in Manhattan for the Japanese fashion brand, which held its previous Frank Gehry-designed location in Tribeca for 25 years.

SO–IL co-founder Jing Liu described the atmosphere in the space as "clean, precise, audacious," reflecting Issey Miyake's innovative and experimental approach to fashion and tailoring.

The scale of the open interior volume matches the monumentality of the 34-storey building's limestone exterior, which was designed by architect Cass Gilbert and completed in 1928.

"Visually, there are not many 'designed objects' in the space, but key elements are integrated and work in an essential way with the existing building elements," Liu told Dezeen.

For example, a continuous aluminium rail spans across the building's grand arched windows, while giant studded-steel columns create a rhythm and symmetry for the perforated metal cases that house ceiling-mounted services and lighting.

The majority of the floor area is left open, so that the eye seeks out garments displayed on custom freestanding aluminium rails and glass-topped, castor-mounted tables.

"We tried not to have the fixtures and architecture stand in the way of the clothing, which should be the main show and the one that changes with the seasons, keeping the space fresh," said Liu. "Buildings, on the other hand, will be there for a long time, so it doesn't need to be loud or in the foreground."

At the back is a mezzanine level accessed via a doglegged staircase that's suspended from the steel structure.

The slender profile of the treads and risers paired with all-glass balustrades lends the staircase an almost weightless appearance.

"Our design also focused on the specific properties and technical aspects of each material we used, with glass and aluminium as the main materials, stretching what they each can do, not just visually but also structurally," Liu said. "I think this is also how Issey Miyake approaches their clothing."

Below, the floor rises two steps to accommodate an existing level change and plumbing needs, and extends back to a more intimate area for displaying accessories.

Several titanium elements from Issey Miyake's previous Gehry-designed store were repurposed in the new flagship, including a large folded plate installed above the minimalist aluminium service counter.

"Initially, we explored many ways to adopt it into new elements for the stores, but it was very difficult to find fabricators who could work with titanium," said Liu. "So we ended up preserving the pieces and displaying them as a stand-alone object prominently in the store."

The space also features a gallery where SO–IL will present an exhibition of its material explorations and collaborations from September 2026.

Co-founded by Liu and Florian Idenburg in 2008, the studio recently completed an array of experimental housing developments around Brooklyn.

These include the pink-concrete 144 Vanderbilt in Fort Greene, the perforated-metal Nine Chapel in Downtown Brooklyn, and the green-tiled 450 Warren in Gowanus.

Issey Miyake has collaborated with a variety of famous architects and designers on its stores around the world, including Naoto Fukasawa, Tokujin Yoshioka and Nendo.

The brand's eponymous founder, who died in 2022 aged 84, is considered one of the world's most influential fashion designers – see seven of his most innovative projects here.

The photography is copyright Issey Miyake Inc.

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