TAKAHIROMIYASHITA TheSoloist’s Autumn/Winter 2017 collection, titled Alternative Tentacles, was a dark, layered fusion of sprawling influences and textural contrasts.
Jumping from one era to another, Miyashita straddles the line between the Midwestern and Japan. What emerged was a meticulously curated cultural hybrid, dominated by black and deep charcoal. The collection conjured a sense of beautiful displacement through hyper-functional jackets, excessively cut pants, and fringed hems, borrowing motifs from both worlds.
Textures clashed and harmonized. Cashmere and wool were combined to create a ripstop blend, which was then sculpted into rabbit-fur-lined waistcoats and cropped jackets. Rock and grunge influences, foundational motifs evident since his Number (N)ine days, were unmistakable. Slashed fabrics, layered plaids, and crooked collars further contributed to the symphony of part Japanese dandyism, part Western utilitarianism.
Jewelry, a signature flourish of Miyashita’s since Number (N)ine, surfaced yet again. His metalwork draws from a vast lexicon of influences: music, botany, the American West, and Indigenous motifs. Collaborations with Jam Home Made, Cody Sanderson, and End Custom Jewelers have shaped his ever-expanding repertoire, yet his independent designs remain equally evocative. Among his most iconic creations is the “Bowie” ring, inspired by the gecko-shaped ring worn by David Bowie in a Hunky Dory photoshoot. Another standout is the SS18 “Femme Fatale Fellow” Le Petit Protector pistol ring. Beautiful, functional, and capable of firing tiny pellets.
In recent years, Miyashita has entrusted much of TheSoloist’s jewelry production to End Custom Jewelers, solidifying an ongoing partnership. Together, they have crafted different iterations of bone-like earrings, bangles, rings, and necklaces which became integral to his runway collections.
First introduced in TheSoloist’s Autumn Winter 2017 runway, the Bone Shaped Clipper Necklace re-emerged in Autumn Winter 2018. Bone-like crosses form its structure, doubling as a utilitarian clasp for glasses, handkerchiefs, or perhaps even a morning coffee.
