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GU vs ISSEY MIYAKE: similarities and differences

Compare brand traits, similarities and differences.

Reference brand: GU Swap brands

GU

Japan Founded 2006

Trends & youth culture · Polished & dressy · Minimal & basics

ISSEY MIYAKE

Japan Founded 1970

Avant-garde & designer · Luxury & heritage · Decoration & playfulness

Similarities and differences

Shared traits

  • No shared traits are available.

Different traits

  • Avant-garde & designer

    ISSEY MIYAKE shows a stronger emphasis

  • Luxury & heritage

    ISSEY MIYAKE shows a stronger emphasis

This pair is not included in the similar brands recommendations.

Trait comparison

  • GU (solid line, circles)
  • ISSEY MIYAKE (dashed line, squares)
Traits of GU and ISSEY MIYAKE, shown relative to each brand.
How to read the chart

Traits farther from the centre are more prominent within each brand. The chart uses the same relative display as the brand profile. Area does not indicate brand quality or absolute differences between brands.

Traits by category

Bar lengths show how prominent each trait is within each brand.

  • GU
  • ISSEY MIYAKE
Minimal & basics
GU：Relative prominence within the brand
ISSEY MIYAKE：Relative prominence within the brand
Polished & dressy
GU：Relative prominence within the brand
ISSEY MIYAKE：Relative prominence within the brand
Luxury & heritage
GU：Relative prominence within the brand
ISSEY MIYAKE：Relative prominence within the brand
Avant-garde & designer
GU：Relative prominence within the brand
ISSEY MIYAKE：Relative prominence within the brand
Decoration & playfulness
GU：Relative prominence within the brand
ISSEY MIYAKE：Relative prominence within the brand
Streetwear
GU：Relative prominence within the brand
ISSEY MIYAKE：Relative prominence within the brand
Trends & youth culture
GU：Relative prominence within the brand
ISSEY MIYAKE：Relative prominence within the brand
Sporty & sportswear
GU：Relative prominence within the brand
ISSEY MIYAKE：Relative prominence within the brand
Outdoor & functional
GU：Relative prominence within the brand
ISSEY MIYAKE：Relative prominence within the brand

Basic information

Field
GU
ISSEY MIYAKE
Country Japan Japan
Founded 2006 1970
Category Clothing Clothing
Other categories Bags Accessories Footwear Lifestyle products Bags Accessories Footwear Watches Fragrance Lifestyle products Textiles and material technology Art projects

— indicates information that is not available.

Brand profiles

Brand lines

GU

No information is available.

ISSEY MIYAKE

Collaborations

GU

  • 2025-03-14

    UNDERCOVER

    The first collection, marking its relaunch as “UG,” is scheduled to launch on March 14, 2025.

  • 2021-02-22

    MIHARA YASUHIRO

    In 2021, it announced a collaborative collection featuring remake-style jackets and sneakers.

GU collaborations

ISSEY MIYAKE

  • 2026-01-05

    ASICS

    ISSEY MIYAKE FOOT, jointly developed by MIYAKE DESIGN STUDIO and ASICS. Functional footwear that reinterprets HYPER TAPING. The first model was released commercially in 2026.

  • 2025-07-15

    Camper

    ISSEY MIYAKE and Camper announced and released the “Peu Form” capsule collection. The shoes reinterpret Camper’s Peu series through Issey Miyake’s approach to fabric.

  • 2024-05-15

    New Balance

    ISSEY MIYAKE and New Balance announced their first collaborative sneaker project. It launched first in Japan on May 15, 2024, followed by a global release on June 14, 2024.

  • 2016-10-05

    United Nude

    A footwear collaboration between ISSEY MIYAKE and United Nude. The project presented shoes featuring structural heel designs and wrap designs.

  • Seiko

    Naoto Fukasawa joined the ISSEY MIYAKE WATCH project and presented representative works such as TWELVE, deepening his collaboration with SEIKO on watch design.

ISSEY MIYAKE collaborations

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