Comfortable, rugged and sophisticated all at once, former Number Nine designer TAKAHIRO MIYASHITA continues on with his new label The SoloIst. For Autumn/Winter 2011 the collection follows a sort of “regal begger” look, with many ensembles reminding us of the type of garms Jack The Ripper would wear. That said, you will find  items that can work with your everyday look if the full kits aren’t exactly your thing.

More images follow after the click.

Quite unexpectedly, Number (N)ine reappears even though the brand has been closed not long ago. This time they worked with Converse for Spring 2010 and it will actually be a collaboration through-out the entire year. Definitely exciting news, especially for Number (N)ine fans.

“Converse announces its Number (N)ine for Converse collection. Some of the last Number (N)ine products available from Takahiro Miyashita’s highly sought-after label, the collection includes a Chuck Taylor All Star and a One Star shoes that will be available in February and will be followed up later in the year with new versions and Takahiro’s take on the Converse Odessa trainer.

The collaboration seems especially fitting for Takahiro who sees Converse as a sort of beginning and an end. “My childhood started with Converse” he says, noting that with the closing of Number (N)ine, that Converse has a special existence in relation to both his youth and the end of Number (N)ine.

Converse worked closely with Takahiro to create his interpretations of the Chuck Taylor All Star and One Star shoes, which Takahiro considers “authentic and permanent”. Taking a hybrid approach, Takahiro chose to incorporate the asymmetrical lacing of the 1970 and ‘80s era Converse Odessa shoe into his design. The Odessa shoe, which was originally designed for running, was super innovative for its time and a shoe from the Converse archives that Takahiro has long admired. Following the Chuck Taylor All Star and One Star versions, Converse will debut the Number (N)ine version of the Odessa trainer in early 2010.

The collection includes an oxford version of the Chuck Taylor All Star shoe with premium deer skin, yellow shag suede uppers, asymmetrical lacing and a metallic gold star on the shoe’s heel. A One Star version is also available in premium deer skin white shag suede uppers, asymmetrical lacing and a silver metallic star on the shoe’s heel. The shoes global launch is set for March 13, 2010 at select retailers globally. A full retailer list also follows after the jump.”

Some detailed images of the Number (N)ine for Converse Spring 2010 sneakers follow after the jump.

Japanese designer Takahiro Miyashita’s Fall ‘08 menswear line and Paris show draw inspiration from the Ace Hotel Portland.
At his fall 2008 menswear show in Paris on January 17, fashion designer Takahiro Miyashita of Number (N)ine unveiled an inspired collaboration with the Ace Hotel Portland.
A Northwest grunge aesthetic runs through Miyashita’s fall pieces. The show, titled “My Own Private Portland,” opened with an Ace Hotel voicemail message. Portland-made Pendleton wool blankets folded on each seat invited guests to snuggle up.
The utilitarian wool blankets are emblazoned with the Thompson elk, a historical statue located in downtown Portland. Modeled on classic Pendleton hotel blankets, they represent Portland and the collection’s vintage-Americana feel. Ace and Number (N)ine are currently collaborating to create additional products which will be released this fall. You can buy the blankets at Number (N)ine’s Manhattan flagship store, and soon they’ll be at the Ace’s forthcoming NYC outpost.  
Miyashita incorporates the Ace into his work because it exemplifies Portland: luxe but irregular, with echoes of a rough-and-tumble history. Miyashita’s nod to grunge fits with the Ace’s historical consciousness and place in a living cultural center.