Small shoulders, bishop sleeves, and mid-calf length convey the trends in fashion around 1970, and the textile is a lively pop design. The motif is based on Tom Kelley’s iconic 1949 nude photograph of Marilyn Monroe. The textile designerhas added angel wings, and set the motif on a background of swirling waves and clouds.
This dress was a follow-up to Miyake’s Tattoo Dress (1971), which used Jimmy Hendrix and Janis Joplin, after their tragic deaths, as motifs for mimicking Japanese tattoos. The print was designed by Eiko Ishioka and Makiko Minagawa. Before her rise to fame as an art director and costume designer, Ishioka worked for Miyake on textile design for several months from August 1970. Minagawa also began working for Miyake in 1970, and was appointed as the Issey Miyake textile director in 1971. Together, these two designers added youthful drive to Miyake’s campaign to take new fashions from Japan out into the world.