Dressed to the (N)ines.

MIYASHITA, Takahiro; NEW wave films; WATANABE, Junya, 1961-; DESIGNERS; CLOTHING & dress

The romantic ideal of the tortured artiste is always in fashion -- even so, the Number (N)ine designer Takahiro Miyashita seems to take special pains to suffer for his craft. When planning the portrait that accompanies this article, he asked that his face be obscured, perhaps fearing that the gigantic frames he wears wouldn't provide sufficient cover. During our interview, he fielded several questions with enigmatic pronouncements like ''You would have to ask my brain'' and ''I am a shadow.'' At times, he simply stared into space, as if submerged in an autistic trance. Thus the sobriquet ''Taka the oyster.'' Miyashita is part of a relatively new wave of Japanese designers, including Junya Watanabe, Undercover's Jun Takahashi and Daiki Suzuki of Engineered Garments and Woolrich Woolen Mills, who are obsessed with American style; in Miyashita's case, his dark side yields clothes of paradoxical luminosity. His fall collection, My Own Private Portland, features updated Northwest classics like plaid shirts, fur-lined trapper hats and nubby, grungy cardigans. In the spring of 2009, his Lonesome Heroes dudes will be sporting a mishmash of brocades and Navajo patterns. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Copyright of New York Times Magazine is the property of New York Times and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)