Glen Check

Fall/Winter 2018 was Takahiro Miyashita's return to the European fashion circuit after leaving Number (N)ine in 2009. Named ORDER/DISORDER, the collection was a joint presentation with Jun Takahashi's Undercover at Pitti Uomo and Takahiro's second runway presentation with The Soloist. 

It was one of Takahiro's most ambitious collections since The Soloist's inception, with 34 looks and a number of different color stories, Fall/Winter 2018 envisioned a bleak, dystopic world and the clothes one would need to endure it. It was a mix of dramatic tailoring, outdoors gear, and military uniforms, fabricated in technical wool-face polyester, military-grade Primaloft, and Mylar survival heat blankets (from the brand coincidentally named 'SOL'). It invoked the look of clothing-as-armor, with faces obscured and bodies shrouded in layer after protective layer. 

Of course, the dimension and depth of the armor isn't just produced by throwing one garment over another. Instead, Takahiro produces the layered and collaged look by literally taking apart the garments we are familiar with and presenting them in parts, fragments of garments like the 'sleeve attachments' where the arms of flight jackets or blazers are cut without bodices, almost like boleros or harnesses. Or, the Bib hoodies that end at the chest and are meant to be layered over or under outerwear. Then, there are the sleeveless suit jackets that, combined with a sleeve attachment, may constitute a whole blazer or form a sort of tailored-military fusion. This mentality of picking garments apart, viewing them as ever smaller pieces, has historically been part of Takahiro's work--It can be seen in the one-sleeved asymmetrical hoodies and flannels of Number (N)ine SS05 'Nightcrawler' or the famous 'hybrid' pieces from AW05 'The High Streets' where bodies, hems, and sleeves are spliced together from different garments. Unlike Number (N)ine however, the frag-garments here are presented with a sense of refinement and polish, as well as allowing the wearer to interchange pieces and assemble hybrids of their own.

Furthering the splicing together of garments, backpack 'parts' were added to jackets, with straps and hip belts sewn on their interior. The functional purpose of these was to allow jackets to be carried conveniently when not worn, and while this is a WWII US military uniform inspired detail (that featured prominently in Helmut Lang's work as well), the straps on Takahiro's version are fully constructed, with the curvature, padding, and added chest strap that point more towards a contemporary mountaineering backpack. Additionally, zippers at the side seams of outerwear allow the hip belt to weave from the inside out and cinch the waistline--a way for the wearer to alter silhouette and add even more, visually, to their look. 

These Glen Check overpants from Look 5 feature the same design elements and layered sensibilities mentioned above. The front patch pockets are mirrored by another set of primaloft patch pockets on the inside, accessible by the watertight zipper at the side seams. Zippers run down the inner thighs, openable for both styling and ventilation purposes, while the same fully fashioned hip belt found on the jackets is layered atop the webbing-cinched waist, creating a corset effect and really driving home the look of tailored technical romanticism. 

In the show's finale, models walked out in a line, stripped of their gear to reveal identical polyurethane dickie, armband, and trouser 'underwear' that had been worn universally underneath the armor, a bold suggestion that maybe even in a post-apocalyptic world men could afford to let down their guard.

More about the product: The details are endless with The Soloist. The face fabric is a 100% technical polyester that perfectly mimics the hand and weave of a glen check wool. The lining is 50/50 cotton/cupro and extends the full length of the trouser. Hardware and closures are all soloist branded, with the zipper pulls and oversized hook and bar fabricated in sterling silver by END jewelers. The belted additions are edge-bound in lambskin. No detail is left unconsidered and elevated. Soloist really represents new age hardcore luxury done in an intensely artistic way. 

Made in Japan
9.5/10 Condition, with no rips, stains, or tears. Tried on condition

Measurements:
Waist: 18" 
Front Rise: 14"
Inseam: 31"
Thigh: 14.5"
Hem: 11"