TAKAHIRO MIYASHITA

In 1996, Takahiro Miyashita launched his brand Number (N)ine under Kooks Co. Ltd, which Miyashita owned. The meaning of the name Number (N)ine is based on the Beatles song "Revolution 9". Through Miyashita's work, it is no mystery that he was deeply inspired by the Beatles and rock n' roll and American culture.

In the early years, Miyashita mainly focused on establishing his store in Japan but had a slow startup until about '99-00 when his brand started catching attention throughout the country. At this time, Miyashita put out a plethora of hits, including his well-known Disney collab and a few more official collections, including Takahiro's "Blue Period," where all of his outerwear and pants were uniquely constructed and netted inside.

Until '04, Takahiro's work had gained so much attention in Japan that he got the opportunity to put out his first runway collection in Paris titled "Give Peace a Chance." From here, Takahiro's inspirations and brand direction finally came to light in the public's eyes on a global scale. Year after year, Takahiro put out fantastic work under his brand but eventually got to the point where his brand was more prominent than he ever wanted it to be. His small store in Japan had turned into a massive global brand that was too high in demand for Takahiro to remain in complete creative control, so he left his brand in '09.

It was not till about a year later that Takahiro announced that he was going to start up his new project called TakahiroMiyashitaTheSoloist, where his designs would align with his potential and progression as a solo artist. Here he would focus on more eclectic designs, this time stemming from multiple inspirations instead of a more fixed view as he had with Number (N)ine.

Since the start, Takahiro has proved that he cannot be put into a box as his work continuously breaks barriers and progresses with him year after year. Miyashita's work is and will remain timeless for decades to come.

Written By Alex Sturla