Issey Miyake redefines industrial byproducts for Milan Design Week 2026
At Milan Design Week 2026, Issey Miyake presents ‘The Paper Log: Shell and Core’, an exploratory project designed by Satoshi Kondo of MIYAKE DESIGN STUDIO and developed by the project team at ISSEY MIYAKE, in collaboration with the Spanish architecture office Ensemble Studio. The project focuses on the creative reuse of compressed paper rolls, which are the by-product of the home garment folding process. Each 80 cm cylinder, once destined for disposal or recycling, is repurposed as raw material for furniture and sculptural objects. This approach highlights a future where industrial waste serves as a catalyst for new creation.
‘When we first saw the result, it immediately looked like a tree stump, which is why we call it a paper log. Marbling is like the rings one finds on a tree. Each log is unique depending on the color of the garment we folded that day, because the color is transferred to the sheet due to heat and pressure,Satoshi Kondo, MIYAKE DESIGN STUDIO, tells designboom as we preview “The Paper Log: Shell and Core” ahead of Milan Design Week 2026.
Milan design week 2026 visitors can discover the paper journal project at Issey Miyake’s store in Milan
The spirit of collaboration unites Issey Miyake and Ensamble Studio
The installation, ‘The Paper Log: Shell and Core’, is realized through a harmonious dialogue between the house’s project team and the Spanish architects of Ensamble Studio. The project is divided into two captivating explorations: Shell and Core. While Ensamble Studio treats paper as sculpted skin, the in-house team explores the structural depths of the trunk itself. This collaboration bridges the gap between design and architecture, dissolving the rigid boundaries of construction and fostering curiosity that leads to innovative change.
‘The exhibition is about giving different lives or materiality to the same material, but in both explorations, we try to preserve the memory that is structurally embedded in the paper. When simply unfolded and shaped, it still expresses the spirit of Issey Miyake,”, explains Antón García-Abril, architect of Ensamble Studio.
Fine pleats crystallize into permanent architectural forms
transform textures define paper installation
For the Shell series, Ensamble Studio explores paper as a solid element, drawing inspiration from the folds of historical sculptures such as Michelangelo’s Pietà to understand how textural shapes are formed. By peeling off a layer and applying a firming agent, the studio crystallizes each fine wrinkle into a frozen moment of grace. The design acts as a second skin, wrapping a familiar form to give it a new, lasting presence.
‘On this folded paper, we were also looking at, for example, the Pietà and the role of folds in shaping and shaping. We started material research to understand the log – when you peel back the first layer, all the different papers dissolve,adds Débora Mesa, architect at Ensamble Studio.
behind the scenes the making of shells procedure
The Core series, developed by the project team at ISSEY MIYAKE, focuses on the structural potential of the core through rigorous experimentation. By soaking the paper in wax, painting it with glue or tying it into a bundle, the team transforms a thin strip into a sturdy furniture prototype such as a stool or table. This methodology remains minimal and primitive, allowing the innate beauty of the folded paper to shine through without heavy intervention.
‘We are looking for other ways to work with the log itself, so we impregnated it with wax. Usually, one sees paper in the form of sheets but never in strips and threads. It reminds us of wood fibers,Satoshi Kondo continues.
The ensemble studio sculpts the paper shell with hardening agents
The installation acts as a living laboratory during Design Week, proving that even a delicate byproduct can be preserved in functional art. It is a testing ground for shared values, where experimentation can lead to joyful creations. The dialogue between the collaborators evolves throughout the Issey Miyake store in Milan, inviting the visitor to witness the unique design process.
the paper log acts as raw material for future furniture
The work is a reflection on an often overlooked material. By focusing reuse on the memory of paper – the pressure trace from the folding process – the studio has created a collection that transcends traditional definition. This transition shows how a garment functions as a spatial layer, a logic now translated into the domestic sphere through furniture.
‘The work succumbs to this memory, the memory of material that is embedded like DNA,”, concludes Antón García-Abril at designboom.
compressed rolls reveal marbling similar to tree rings
an original stool from the core series impregnated with protective wax
