The vintage collection left behind by Taiga Takahashi, the designer of "Taiga Takahashi" (renamed "T.T" from the 2023 Autumn/Winter collection), who passed away suddenly at the young age of 27 in April last year, is on display at HOSOO GALLERY in Kyoto until March 12th. "Texture from Textile Vol.2: Clothing of Time - Takahashi Taiga Vintage Collection" is being held at HOSOO GALLERY.

This exhibition is linked to "T.T," a comprehensive art space in Gion, Kyoto, which is Taiga Takahashi's flagship store, and Takahashi's first solo exhibition as a contemporary artist, "Presence in Absence," which was held at Ryosokuin, a subtemple of Kenninji Temple, in December last year.

Takahashi Taiga's work "Infinity Gate" 2021, Basalt (1st floor of "T.T," a comprehensive art space in Gion, Kyoto)
Takahashi Taiga's solo exhibition "Presence in Absence," held at Ryosokuin, a sub-temple of Kenninji Temple, in December 2022

"HOSOO The "Texture from Textile" GALLERY will feature a display of items from the 1910s to the 1960s that served as prototypes for Takahashi's own brand. The approximately 150 Western workwear and military items are part of the 2,000 items Takahashi has collected since his teenage years, categorized by the gallery's curators. As Vol. 2 of the "Texture from Textile" project, which reconsiders architectural history from the perspective of textiles, the exhibition explores the changes in aesthetic sense in clothing that occurred in the 20th century. "Texture from Textile Vol.2 Clothing of Time - Takahashi Taiga Vintage Collection" is being held at HOSOO GALLERY.
Japanese kimonos are designed to eliminate waste by cutting a single bolt of fabric in straight lines, while Western military, workwear, and denim are produced against a backdrop of mass production driven by the rationality of capitalism. This exhibition traces the thinking of Takahashi as a designer, who has constructed a collection based on the "fusion of the minds" of each of these elements.

Refine, not reproduce

"Taiga Takahashi" SS23 Collection
Exterior of Hosoo Headquarters


Exterior of "T.T," a comprehensive arts space in Gion, Kyoto

These craftsmanship techniques are also evident in Takahashi Taiga's clothing. They can be seen in items such as mud and indigo dyeing from Amami Oshima, denim fabric made on old-fashioned power looms in Okayama, sweatshirts made on loopwheel knitting machines in Wakayama, and rivets that have not been rust-proofed. The aesthetic sense of "sabi," which takes time to produce and changes in texture over the years, is embodied in the comprehensive arts space "T.T," which opened in September 2021, the same month and year as Hosoo's head office building.




"When he was a child, Taiga would be taken by his grandmother to watch the Miyako Odori dance at the Kaburenjo Theater, and he really loved this area south of Gion," recalls a relative of Takahashi. Located in a scenic area designated as a historical heritage site, this space, a former teahouse that appears to have been built in the Taisho era, displays a level of completion that makes it hard to believe it was designed by a single designer in his twenties. Due to particular considerations, such as obtaining permission to remove the original main pillar, the opening was delayed by five months.

Ryutei Tea Room "Sabi" (2nd floor of the comprehensive art space "T.T")

The interior of the restaurant is made up of transoms and old wood from shrines and temples that are over 100 years old, selected by the restaurant owner himself and joined together using joinery. The restaurant is also home to sculptures created in collaboration with stone sculptor Izumi Masatoshi, a long-time supporter of Isamu Noguchi. The ceiling, which uses a single seamless fabric to create the illusion of skylight, 1mm pinlights embedded in the ceiling, the Aji stone staircase leading to the second-floor "Sabi" tea room, and chairs designed in collaboration with Sakura Seisakusho for the tea room, are just some of the impressive details.


"In The Presense of Absense," a pop-up held at Hankyu Men's in Yurakucho in January this year

The theme of "unearthing archaeological artifacts of the future by reviving relics of the past" has led to a new form of collaboration since his death. Hosoo collaborated with "majotae," a fabric brand that has been researching and developing ways to revive ancient Japanese hemp cloth in the modern era. Takahashi Taiga, who was still alive at the time, was asked to design products. Collaborative items overseen by Takahashi Taiga were exhibited and available for order at the "In The Presense of Absense," a pop-up held at Hankyu Men's in Osaka and Tokyo in January this year. As vintage fashion is rediscovered, "applied archaeology," which refines rather than reproduces, is likely to become a key term for the evolution of Japanese fashion, conceptualizing street culture.




Takahashi Taiga
Born in 1995. He entered the London International School of Art and Design in 2010 and went on to Central Saint Martins in 2013. In 2015, he worked as a design assistant at fashion houses in Antwerp, Belgium and London. After graduating from the university in 2017, he moved to the United States and founded TaigaTakahashi.inc. in New York. In December 2021, he opened "T.T," a comprehensive art space in Gion, Kyoto, where visitors can experience everything from clothing, architecture, tea rooms, and sculptures designed by Takahashi. He passed away on April 9, 2022, at the young age of 27, due to a fatal arrhythmia.

Text by Tatsuya Noda: Founding Editor-in-Chief of Fashion Headline



*This article has been revised and updated with additional photos from the March 2023 issue of Monthly Shopping Architecture (on sale February 28th).