'Design is not just about making something, it is about designing the feelings of the person who uses it," says Tokujin Yoshioka, sitting in his Daikanyama studio among magazine-laden shelves and prototypes in various stages of development.
"Complete design," as Tokujin — commonly referred to by his first name — describes his user-encompassing approach, has won him many fans. Aged just 40, his talents extend from interiors and furniture, to products such as lamps and cell phones, and he already has four pieces in the permanent collection of New York's Museum of Modern Art.
Next month he will be named Designer of the Year at Design Miami, an international fair, and in March he will unveil his new store design for the luxury brand Swarovski in Ginza, Tokyo — a template that will be copied in the Austrian crystal-maker's 750 shops worldwide.