what is minä perhonen?
minä perhonen is a fashion brand working to produce clothes which do not lose their allure through lapse of time. The design process begins with sketches, which are made into their original fabrics. Also, they aspire to develop new materials and techniques with production centers of home and abroad. The name of the brand originates in Finnish as the designer sympathized with the lifestyle and the culture of FINLAND; he has traveled many times through northern European countries. "minä" means "I" and "perhonen" is "butterfly," with a wish to make many beautiful designs like those of butterflies' wings. The brand logo signifies "various characters (dots) within oneself (rectangle shape)." Just like the species of butterflies are countless, the designs too continue to increase.
brand history
| 1995 | Started the fashion brand "minä." |
|---|---|
| 2000 | Opened the first shop in Shirokanedai, Tokyo. |
| 2002 | Held the first exhibition "Ryushi (particles)" at Spiral Garden, Tokyo. |
| 2003 | Renamed the brand name to "minä perhonen." With a collaboration between Fritz Hansen, presented furniture dressed with minä perhonen fabrics. Presented furniture originally designed by minä perhonen. |
| 2004 | Started to present collections in Paris. |
| 2006 | Designer Akira minägawa awarded Grand Prix of "Mainichi Fashion Grand Prix" hosted by The Mainichi Newspapers. Danish textile manufacturer Kvadrat released fabrics designed by Akira minägawa. |
| 2007 | Opened the 2nd shop in Kyoto. |
Solo Exhibition
| 2002 | "Exhibition of minä's works -Ryushi-," Spiral Garden, Tokyo, Japan "Exhibition of minä's textiles," Fashion Resource Center of Bunka Fashion College, Tokyo, Japan |
|---|---|
| 2004 | "imperfect - minä perhonen's creativity," Nagoya University of Arts, Nagoya, Japan |
| 2005 | "front back," Utsunomiya Museum of Art, Tochigi, Japan |
| 2006 | "Transformation of a design," Osaka seikei University, Kyoto, Japan |
Group Exhibition
| 2001 | "Continuous Connection Part-1," 4th International Design Contest Design 21, FELISSIMO DESIGN HOUSE, New York, USA |
|---|---|
| 2003 | "Roppongi Crossing," Mori Museum, Tokyo, Japan |
| 2007 | "Chocolate," 21_21 Design Site, Tokyo, Japan "THIS_PLAY," 21_21 Design Site, Tokyo, Japan |
Publications
- "a trip with my minä," ,DAI-X Shuppan, 2003 ,1300 yen (without tax)
- "Particle of minä perhonen - Ryushi,",Blues Interactions, Inc., 2003, 5000 yen (Sold Out)
- "a fragment of journey,",Bunka Publishing Bureau, 2003,1500 yen (without tax)
- "minä perhonen 1 textile,",Bunka Publishing Bureau, 2005 ,2000 yen (without tax)
- "minä perhonen 2 embroidery,",Bunka Publishing Bureau, 2005,1900 yen (without tax)
- "minä perhonen 3 print,",Bunka Publishing Bureau, 2005,2000 yen (without tax)
- "Particle of minä perhonen - Ryushi (trade edition),",Blues Interactions, Inc., 2005, 2200yen (without tax)
Essays
- "a fragment of journey," "SO-EN" monthly fashion magazine, Bunka Publishing Bureau, issues Jan. 2001 - Dec. 2002
- "annual ring," "SO-EN" monthly fashion magazine, Bunka Publishing Bureau, from issue Jan. 2003 and continuing
- "Sketch with Five Senses," "SPUR" monthly fashion magazine, SHUEISHA INC., March 2003 - March 2004
- "Mrs." monthly fashion magazine, Bunka Publishing Bureau, issues Jan. 2007 and continuing
Photo by Yuki Akiyama