Born in Hiroshima, Miyake suffered from osteomyelitis at the age of 10, and the disease recurred shortly in his adulthood. He studied studied graphic design at Tama Art University (多摩美術大学) in Tokyo from 1959 to 1964. After graduation, he worked in Paris for Guy Laroche and Givenchy until 1968. He then worked for Geoffrey Beene in New York City in 1969. Two years later, he founded Miyake Design Studio and Miyake International Inc.