Editorial: TAKAHIROMIYASHITA The Soloist

As to be expected from a label that so emphatically emphasizes the individualist outlook of its creator, TAKAHIROMIYASHITA The Soloist, does things differently, not just from the expected norm, but from everyone else. If you opt for a broad enough categorization, avant garde technical, for instance, it is possible to place Miyashita’s output within a comfortable frame of reference, but it’s not really sufficient preparation for what you’re going to see.

The Autumn/Winter 2019 collection from TAKAHIROMIYASHITA The Soloist leans on the conceptual to subvert the expectations created by the broad reach of concise, caption friendly summarization. The subculture influences that inform Miyashita’s aesthetic outlook are prominently featured, as large blocks of text appear along side the usual branding throughout the collection, but Miyashita has approached this artistic longing from the bottom of the pyramid, rather than the top. Where one might expect high end, avant garde fashion to pull from the ranks of the renowned and the classic, really showing off the depths of their appreciation for literature, the poetic sentiments expressed are drawn from the ranks of angst filled journals tucked away under mattresses, or squirreled away in the back of a closet somewhere. In an age where the trappings of subculture have become yet another status symbol, devoid of context, The Soloist has followed the aroma of clove cigarettes around the back of the school building, and rediscovered its essence.