Acclaimed fashion designer Akira Isogawa joins UTS

Akira Isogawa, one of Australia’s most distinctive and renowned fashion designers, has joined UTS as a research supervisor, to guide PhD students with their practice-based research projects in fashion.

Known internationally for his brand Akira, he has showed his collections in Paris since 1998. The Victoria and Albert Museum's 2020 exhibition Kimono: Kyoto to Catwalk, currently touring Europe, includes Akira’s designs, and Sydney's Powerhouse Museum featured a retrospective of his work in 2018-19.

Associate Professor Toby Slade, Associate Head of the UTS School of Design, said Akira joining UTS as a research supervisor represents an amazing opportunity for UTS graduate research students to work with a legendary designer.

“The insight that Akira brings to so many areas of fashion will be invaluable to our PhD students. It’s hard to imagine another discipline having such unfettered access to a world-famous practitioner as a graduate supervisor.

“Akira has always been a great supporter of the UTS fashion program, particularly our honours students. Now he will lend his lifetime of experience and knowledge to graduate projects and supervise world-leading research in fashion design, technology, history and sustainability,” he said.

Born in Kyoto, Japan, in 1964, Akira moved to Australia in 1986 at the age of 21. He studied fashion at the East Sydney Technical College, drawing inspiration from contemporary and historic Japanese designs, and launched his first collection in 1994.

Associate Professor Timo Rissanen, Director of the UTS Centre of Excellence in Sustainable Fashion & Textiles, said Akira brings an invaluable perspective as a key leader in Australian fashion for more than three decades.

Akira has always been a great supporter of the UTS fashion program, particularly our honours students. Now he will lend his lifetime of experience and knowledge to graduate projects and supervise world-leading research in fashion design, technology, history and sustainability.

Associate Professor Toby Slade

“Akira understands the richness and uniqueness of our local condition with a global outlook. He has an authentic concern for the future of fashion, including for the ecosystems and people that fashion needs to flourish.

“He engages with people deeply and with care, and no doubt will do so as a supervisor. Akira will elevate fashion research at UTS and internationally, as the voices of lifelong fashion practitioners in research are still scarce.”

UTS higher degree students can undertake research into fashion or textiles practice, theory or history depending upon the nature of their individual dissertation research question.

Recent fashion PhD research candidates include designers, artists and curators, who have explored a range of topics including wearable technology in music and fashion, the re-emergence of possum skin cloak making, and contemporary Japanese fashion culture.