Issey Miyake mixes style and 'haute-tech'

By CNN's Kristie Lu Stout

TOKYO, Japan (CNN) -- In our high-tech world, consumers have to tolerate clunky equipment and bad software design.

Perhaps the geek world can afford a lesson from the chic world where at Issey Miyake's house of style, designers have been stitching tech to couture for over 20 years.

The fashion label has always experimented with innovative shapes and fabrics, constantly blurring the line between high-fashion and high-tech.

Blossoms and snow prints

Each season, Issey Miyake's heir apparent Naoki Takizawa takes his high concept creations to the catwalk.

In his latest collection for the design house, models dress in head-to-toe snow prints, puffed skirts and garlands of flower blossoms.

It's an effect so natural and so organic, it's hard to see the technology behind those signature pleats.

"We used ultrasound technology, something that has been employed in medical fields or even the military. We look for possibilities for using it in the production of our clothing," says Takizawa.

With ultrasound -- the same x-ray equipment used for prenatal check-ups -- Takizawa can cut, sew and pleat his creations at the same time.

He also turns to industrial-grade adhesives and high-tech textiles to spin his creations to life.

"Technology shows how one should design next, what the next step is, what kind of design we have to progress to," says Takizawa.

"It's a part of fashion."

The human touch

Interlacing technology and aesthetics, the final effect should be natural and human -- a balance the consumer tech sector often struggles to find.

PC, software and cell phone makers have long been accused of bad design, burdening consumers with clunky and frustrating products.

But Takizawa downplays even his own design prowess, admitting that sometimes an avant-garde vision gets in the way of what good design is about -- the human touch.

"We concentrate so much on the diversity of design that sometimes we forget the importance of actual human living," he says.

"Take the avant-garde designs for example. You can't quote avant-garde without actually realizing the pattern and needs of human living."

It's a design philosophy that starts with people and not with technology -- and perhaps it's been lingering on the catwalk long enough for the tech world to finally take notice.