Miyake’s fashions and perfumes reflect a sense of humor and make use of multi-lingual puns. A-POC, for example, sounds like the English word “Epoch.” When Miyake launched his first perfume, L’eau d’Issey for women in 1992, the name is a homonym for the French word l’Odyssée (“odyssey” in English). A Scent by Issey Miyake, launched in 2009, could be read as “ascent by Issey Miyake.” Miyake also maintains a store in Japan called ELLTOB TEP (“pet bottle” spelled backwards) which sells his entire line.
Issey Miyake fragrances are offered in conjunction with Beauté Prestige International, a division of Shiseido.