Takahiro Miyashita The Soloist. presented his Spring/Summer 2018 collection as part of Amazon Fashion Week TOKYO's 2018 S/S special project, "AT TOKYO." This was the brand's first runway presentation, and stylists who have supported Tokyo's men's fashion scene lined up in the front row. The venue, under the east stand of Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium, was bathed in a light rain and transformed into a world of black, characteristic of designer Takahiro Miyashita. Over the past few years, I've been covering men's fashion exhibitions overseas. Whenever I mention I'm from Tokyo, the question I'm almost always asked by foreign press and buyers is, "What's the former Number Nine member Miyashita up to?" Since 2015, he's been presenting his namesake brand in Paris, and his recent creations have been gaining recognition overseas, but fashion enthusiasts overseas still clamor for a return to the runway. Following this show, it was announced that he will be invited as a guest designer alongside UNDERCOVER at PITTI UOMO 93 in January of next year, marking his first collection in Italy. The collection kicked off with PVC short sleeves painted with graffiti, complete with hoodies and masks. The hand-drawn lettering, reminiscent of Stephen Sprouse's Monogram Graffiti, with which Marc Jacobs first collaborated for LOUIS VUITTON in 2001, was created by Yoichiro Uchida, who also created a pop-up at the POOL Aoyama, designed by Hiroshi Fujiwara. The short sleeves that cover the collection, along with the stuffed toys held by the models, soften the tight styling, which combines dense black fabric with soft white.
Nostalgic icons that have appeared in previous seasons, such as the lightning bolt embroidery on the detailed western shirts and pants, and the musical note and guitar motifs, serve as tattoos for the brand.
A female model wearing a lacy blouse unravels the story of the show's theme, "femme fatale fellow," and explains the existence of "lonely" female artists such as Suzanne Vega, Laura Manning, and Patti Smith, whose music was used in the show.
Text: Tastuya Noda
