Our lives have changed completely to something we have never experienced before. Even though we are in an unprecedented situation, the pandemic has prompted many designers and creatives to achieve further evolution. For some, it has been a welcome opportunity to create something more bold, explore new boundaries and deliver key messages to audiences.

One designer who has taken full advantage of this opportunity is Takahiro Miyashita who made a triumphant return to Paris Fashion Week with a display of the latest assemblage of evocative wares that make up the forthcoming Spring/Summer 2021 range for his label, TAKAHIROMIYASHITA TheSoloist.

After a long absence, this was only TAKAHIROMIYASHITA TheSoloist. second collection to be showcased in the city since 2009, Miyashita looked to make a statement with his comeback.

Presenting a strong collection that strives to break the boundaries of gender, colour and age, titled “doe(s),” with the seasonal collection for Jane Doe or John Doe, Takahiro simply pursued the beauty of garments as to not identify the wearer but allow one’s individuality to shine through.

Undoubtedly informed by the current global crisis, designing clothes for a “non-specific person” and presenting during the womenswear showing intentionally expresses an altered methodology and approach.

Inspired by viewing the ghastly world from his home yet wanting to connect with the new world ahead, Takahiro Miyashita created a series of items with canvas furnishing textiles defined by raw finishings as if ripped from his sofa. Signature tailoring is exquisitely paired with rivets that resemble oversized staples and help create an abstract pattern design on garments. Touching on a current necessity for protection, the idea of traditional garment bags has been transformed into garments unto themselves. Outfitted with concealed zippers, the unique pieces offer alternative wear patterns that stray from the traditional approaches of dress.

Decorative elements found in TAKAHIROMIYASHITA TheSoloist.’s SS21 collection are inspired by Lucio Fontana’s concept of “spatialism.” As rubber tape is applied to create a “sound pattern” and then removed to leave perforations as a reflection of Takahiro’s new fractured approach to design and the world. Aside from his “Rebelution” musing as always, the designer has also prepared a number of quotes from Ernest Hemingway and neo-noir psychological crime thriller Se7en to mark the range. Evocative phrases include “Long is the way, and hard, that out of HELL lead up to light” (Se7en), “the world is a fine place and worth fighting for” (Hemingway).

Additionally, Takahiro Miyashita has written and directed a short film to set the mood for “doe(s)” while paying homage to the state of the world. Scored in collaboration with Korean indie band HYUKOH, the visual presents an ephemeral world fuelled by the pendulum of humanity’s metronome setting a new tempo for our future.

Words by Remi Akande