This April, the ISSEY MIYAKE store in Milan will present The Paper Log: Shell and Core, an exploratory project conceived by Satoshi Kondo of MIYAKE DESIGN STUDIO and developed by the project team at ISSEY MIYAKE, in collaboration with Spanish architecture office Ensamble Studio. The project features an installation of objects of memory (Shell) and furniture prototypes (Core), derived from contrasting approaches to reappropriating compressed rolls of paper, the byproduct of the house’s pleated garments.

About the Paper Log Project
The Paper Log is a compressed roll (80 cm high and 40 cm in diameter) of wafer-thin, pleated paper sheets. The sheets are the byproduct of garment pleating, the house of ISSEY MIYAKE’s signature technology, used to protect the fabric as it is fed through the pleating machine. The name Paper Log derives from the roll’s structural similarity to a tree trunk, with its circular marbling resembling growth rings—a suggestion of the passing of time in both a plant’s life and the pleating process.

Satoshi Kondo, who is one of the design directors of MIYAKE DESIGN STUDIO, saw the potential in these rolls during a visit to the manufacturer. Originally intended for efficient transportation and disposal/recycling, Kondo was inspired by their materiality and cylindrical form. He cut them crosswise to create stools, later using them as seating and installation for the ISSEY MIYAKE Spring Summer 2025 show in Paris.

The creation of the stool was the first step in the exploration. Like a real log, the Paper Log is a raw material that can be transformed through carving and sawing, as well as peeling and unrolling. Being absorbent, it can be treated with solutions and finishes to substantially transform its materiality. As research and development continued, the scope expanded beyond the in-house project team to include a collaboration with Ensamble Studio.

The practice of Ensamble Studio is founded upon extensive research and a deep understanding of materials. By working, if not grappling with, a medium thoroughly, they seize its essence—often hidden behind convention and preconception—to develop an authentic approach that integrates design, craft, and construction. In contrast to the thoroughness innate to their research process, their methodology is often minimal, if not primitive, and their execution effortless, highlighting the beauty of the material itself. This humble approach—where the presence of the maker’s will is subtle—makes Ensamble Studio the ideal collaborator for the Paper Log project.

Both Ensamble Studio and the house of ISSEY MIYAKE believe that process takes precedence in creative work. It is from the process—the trial and error—that ideas and insights are derived, aiding further future development.

About the Installation
As the project’s subtitle Shell and Core suggests, the installation comprises two complementary series of works derived from contrasting approaches to the Paper Log. The work is presented throughout the store in arrangements that situate contrasting qualities—ephemeral vs. concrete and delicate vs. robust. The dialogue is also captured in a documentary showcasing the making process and the conversation between Ensamble Studio and the Paper Log project team.

The work created by Ensamble Studio, described as Shell, features a series of crisp paper objects as if frozen in time. They were made by sculpting with sheets peeled from the Paper Log—whether forming them freely or enveloping existing objects—and treating the paper with hardening agents to crystallize every pleat, wrinkle, and crease.

The work created by the in-house project team, described as Core, consists of prototypes of furniture, such as a stool, chair, and table, treated to explore its materiality—soaked in wax, painted with glue, or tied into bundles. In addition, a section will be dedicated to the making process of the prototypes.