TAKAHIROMIYASHITA TheSoloist. FW21 Imagines Shapeshifting Staples
Customizable apparel that takes equal cues from The Beatles and Judy Blame.
Titled “R E :,” TAKAHIROMIYASHITA TheSoloist.‘s Fall/Winter 2021 presentation is one of the Japanese designer’s most avant-garde in recent years. Drawing inspiration from sources as diverse as The Beatles’ Help!, T. S. Eliot’s Little Gidding, Judy Blame and the films of John Cassavetes, Miyashita crafted a collection of shapeshifting garments denoted by zippers, straps and chains that can be reworked and adjusted to suit the wearer’s needs.
Clever ideas abound; For instance, Miyashita added two dangling straps to tops and three to the bottoms — together, these represent the five lines of a musical stave, “awaiting notes to be arranged freely and beautifully,” the show notes explain. Trompe l’œil bombers sport unusable sleeves that walk the line between cape and jacket, while oversized sweaters, blazers, vests and punkish bondage trousers are realized in monochrome and finished with a plethora of adjustable closures and details that both adjust the fit of the genderless apparel and add visual appeal.
“During the pandemic, my urgency to keep pushing my creativity and evolving garments was very much alive,” Miyashita said in an interview with Junsuke Yamasaki that accompanied the show notes. “…There was [also] a rise in popularity for WFH garments and it was alarming to see everyone going in same direction. I understand the importance of sustainability thus feel alarmed to see it becoming merely a trend.”
For more multi-purpose apparel, view the latest joint effort between sacai and A.P.C.
