Double-sided folded poster from Issey Miyake, Spring/Summer 2000 “Smoothed Edges” by Naoki Takizawa, featuring Takashi Murakami. The front features artwork by Takashi Murakami, while the back features various runway looks from the collection arranged in a pyramid. 

In 1999, artist Takashi Murakami collaborated with fashion designer Naoki Takizawa on a series of garments titled "KAI KAI KI KI" for the Spring/Summer 2000 collection of ISSEY MIYAKE MEN. The poster to promote the release of the collection consisted of a zombie drawn by Yuichiro Ichige holding Murakami's own Mr. Oval over a background of a multitude of eyes, while the back of the poster showcased the runway looks in an odd fashion.

When MR. High Fashion asked Takizawa about Murakami in 2002, the designer had many things to say, but he decided to focus on this one thing: the zombie poster.

"[It is] one of my most memorable memories [about Mr. Murakami]. When he first presented to me his idea, I rejected his proposition because I thought it was too much. However, it surely caught something inside of me, I cannot deny it. The image itself is beautiful, and something in it appealed to me. I was worried all night and I ended up retorting that we should do it. After this zombie incident, my awareness concerning the act of creation changed dramatically, and I did not want to hide anything about myself anymore. He was the first man to break me out of my shell."

The poster notably appeared in the ISSEY MIYAKE MEN store after the release of the Spring/Summer 2000 collection and during Murakami's solo exhibition at the same location. A number of copies were also made available to the public.

Scans and writeup references courtesy of My Clothing Archive. This is a part of an in depth series from My Clothing Archive about the Issey Miyake, Spring/Summer 2000 collection by Naoki Takizawa, featuring Takashi Murakami. Read about it further on their website and Instagram.