Prada presented the twelfth iteration of Prada Mode in Osaka alongside Inujima Project in collaboration with Kazuyo Sejima from June 4th-7th, 2025. The two events represented Sejima’s vision for the island of Inujima, as well as Prada’s second edition of Prada Mode with the director of Kazuyo Sejima & Associates and co-founder of SANAA. The latter was the latest edition of Prada’s contemporary cultural series, presenting an exhibition about Sejima’s transformational projects in Inujima and taking place in Osaka, while the former was a connected multi-day preview held in Inujima.
INUJIMA PROJECT
In the days leading up to Prada Mode Osaka, Inujima Project offered a private preview on site on the island located in the Japanese Seto Inland Sea near Naoshima, in western Japan. During the occasion, Prada and the architect unveiled a permanent pavilion at Inujima Life Garden, designed by Sejima and donated to the island by Prada, while introducing the history of Inujima, Sejima’s projects there over the previous 17 years, and her vision for its future.
Historically, the island was known for its quarries and copper smelting; at the turn of the 20th century, the island was said to have boasted 5,000 inhabitants. Over time, the island’s industry slowly declined and the refinery was abandoned for almost a century. By 2008, a total of about 40 people lived on the island, with an average age of 70 years old. That same year, the Fukutake Foundation, which manages the Benesse Art Site Naoshima, invited Sejima to reimagine and shape the built environment of Inujima and think about it as a whole as a part of the Benesse Art Site Naoshima project. Working in phases, Sejima renovated older housing, built gallery spaces, organized workshops and a community garden, and built visitor accommodations to allow for a deeper experience of the island. The Inujima “Art House Project” was unveiled with the opening of F-Art House in 2010.
In the days leading up to Prada Mode Osaka, Inujima Project offered a private preview on site on the island located in the Japanese Seto Inland Sea near Naoshima, in western Japan. During the occasion, Prada and the architect unveiled a permanent pavilion at Inujima Life Garden, designed by Sejima and donated to the island by Prada, while introducing the history of Inujima, Sejima’s projects there over the previous 17 years, and her vision for its future.
Historically, the island was known for its quarries and copper smelting; at the turn of the 20th century, the island was said to have boasted 5,000 inhabitants. Over time, the island’s industry slowly declined and the refinery was abandoned for almost a century. By 2008, a total of about 40 people lived on the island, with an average age of 70 years old. That same year, the Fukutake Foundation, which manages the Benesse Art Site Naoshima, invited Sejima to reimagine and shape the built environment of Inujima and think about it as a whole as a part of the Benesse Art Site Naoshima project. Working in phases, Sejima renovated older housing, built gallery spaces, organized workshops and a community garden, and built visitor accommodations to allow for a deeper experience of the island. The Inujima “Art House Project” was unveiled with the opening of F-Art House in 2010.
PRADA MODE OSAKA
On June 7th, Prada Mode Osaka began with an array of activities and a private dinner in honor of Kazuyo Sejima.
The opening day featured the following two conversations:
- “Cities Are Made by People” with architect Tadao Ando. Tadao Ando shared his thoughts on architecture and urban development, introducing various projects he has worked on both in Japan and abroad, including Osaka, the town where he was born and raised.
- “The City Of Chengdu, The City Of Tokyo” with architects Liu Jiakun and Ryue Nishizawa. Liu Jiakun and Ryue Nishizawa discussed their respective projects and approaches to urban design in Chengdu, China, and Tokyo, Japan — two cities with very different scales and cultural contexts.
– Curated by traditional crafts artist Tomoko Kimata, the “Tsumami-Zaiku — Crafting With Folded Fabrics” workshop focused on tsumami-zaiku, the Japanese art of folding fabric to create floral motifs. Participants used Prada fabrics to make brooches and ornaments.
– Multiple live musical performances were presented by musicians Nik Bartsch, Reggie Watts and C.A.R, all curated by Craig Richards.
– Screenings by architectural artists and filmmakers Bêka & Lemoine were held.
– Composer and artist Keiichiro Shibuya’s sound installation “Abstract Music” entertained guests.
– “ANDROID MARIA,” a newly created android conceived and developed by Keiichiro Shibuya, with a team of leading developers, was produced and presented by ATAK.
– A DJ set by Yuta Suzuki and Aoki Takamasa took place in the evening.
Prada Mode Osaka opens to the public from June 8th to 15th 2025.
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