Known for founding cult brand Number (N)ine and creating groundbreaking collections under TAKAHIROMIYASHITATheSoloist, Takahiro Miyashita continues to bring advanced clothing to the forefront of fashion while remaining true to his principles. But who exactly is Miyashita?
Born on 1973 in Tokyo, Miyashita was the youngest child in a family of four, with his father being a musician and his mother a housewife. Inspired by his older brother’s style, Miyashita soon found himself buying American clothing and visiting thrift stores, all the while watching American movies such as The Outsiders, Rumble Fish and Bad Boys. These early influences would later blossom into the distinct style that Miyashita has cultivated today.
During high school Miyashita quickly gained the reputation of the teenage rebel. He would constantly skip class, seeing little to no benefits from his academic studies. Miyashita hung out with like-minded rebels, drinking out and fighting, all the while coming closer to his passion for clothes. “I always contemplated on how to become ‘cool.’ I’m assuming this wouldn’t had happened if I hadn’t met my friends. Also my special feeling towards clothing was critical in shaping who I am. It was a life of clothing first, clothing second… Looking back, I achieved so many things from the streets” (Takahiro Miyashita, The Truth of Number (N)ine).
Miyashita eventually dropped out of high school and started working at a grocery store. He then transitioned from working for a publisher, to the clothing store Propeller, and finally stumbled upon the iconic Nepenthes. Miyashita frequently visited the store for hours on end, and eventually Nepenthes founder Keizo Shizumu took notice and offered him work. “He visited so often. And the store manager would tell me of a peculiar boy visiting with interesting clothes. After seeing him around a few times, I had him introduced to me.” (Keizo Shizumu, The Truth of Number (N)ine). It was here where Miyashita honed his skills in the fashion industry, coming full circle when he created his first brand Number (N)ine. Fun Fact: Miyashita revealed that the ’(N)’ from Number (N)ine actually stands for Nepenthes!
You can have access to an exclusive interview with the man in himself accompanied with beautiful photgraphies.
Photos from @archivesofpainn and @archivepdf
Written by @casino_riv
We let you a recent video from @casino_riv Youtube channel where he explains more about this awesome designer.
