As a high school dropout, Takahiro Miyashita began his fashion career working for Japanese men's style magazines and, eventually, Nepenthes. He often found himself traveling to the US, and consequentially, developed an obsession with Americana clothing, rock 'n roll, and the Pacific Northwest. Thus, Number (n)ine began in 1996, when Miyashita started selling t-shirts emblazoned with motifs of crosses, skulls, a crying heart logo, and musical notes.
Acknowledged for his fanatically elaborate construction of high quality garments, Miyashita has created a detail-oriented approach to a traditionally simplistic design process. Number (n)ine t-shirts are often characterized by signature neckline and hem distressing, air vents located under the armpit, and sewed-in loops along the shoulder seam.
A series of collections released best embody these design characteristics - Spring Summer 2004, “Dream Baby Dream” saw a series of t-shirts depicting skull motifs and stencil-print bold text that illuminate concise slogans of rock’n roll. Following the same theme, an iconic representation of Eddie Vedder as Mickey Mouse, deep in stage performance, has been reiterated throughout Number (n)ine collections, dating as far back as 2001. On occasion, Miyashita employs bullet hole distressing along the chest-line, as we see with the “School of Visual Comedy” t-shirts and “Cigarette” pocket tees throughout the years. In short, the subtle details, paired with high quality cotton and compelling screen printed graphics, have effortlessly bring Miyashita’s t-shirt designs to life over the years.
