In due course, Takahashi put on his famous ‘Scab’ show for Paris Fashion Week SS03 and, henceforth, the Western world became obsessed with the brand and the designer. Born and raised in Tokyo, the Japanese designer’s heritage, alongside some fairly eclectic influences, have been woven into UNDERCOVER’s DNA since it was founded back in 1990. In a full-circle moment, Comme des Garçons founder Rei Kawakubo was one of the first purchasers, which quickly led to a friendship between the two designers.Īfter eight years, Kawakubo had told just about everyone in the fashion scene about UNDERCOVER (she really was, and still is his biggest fan) and finally persuaded Takahashi to flaunt his designs outside of Tokyo he decided Paris was the fashion destination he resonated with the most. Jun Takahashi is the creative polymath behind cult label UNDERCOVER.
#Undercover jun takahashi upgrade#
The looks were a huge upgrade to the designer’s previous collections in every way: he took streetwear to high-fashion levels by using unexpected cuts, forward-thinking prints and manifestly luxe fabrics. As one can imagine, the two were already well connected within the Ura-Harajuku area, so it didn’t take long for the store to become one of the city’s most influential fashion hubs.Ī year after setting up Nowhere, Takahashi put on his first womenswear runway show at The Garage in Daikanyama for Tokyo Fashion Week. Named Nowhere, Takahashi launched the store alongside his school friend Nigo (as in Nigo the DJ, record producer and founder of Bape and Human Made). This led to the designer dreaming of his own retail space and subsequently setting up a store, circa 1993. Initially, Takahashi’s collections largely consisted of customized pieces created from vintage finds before he knew it, prominent Japanese stores such as Billy’s in Tokyo began to stock his collections. From inception, UNDERCOVER collections have been informed by rebellion, which explains the label’s ‘We Make Noise, Not Clothes’ slogan and the gothic undertones of the aesthetic. (Productive, we know.) The designer combined his interests and influences with avant-garde notions that were circling in the industry at the time to create a brand-new look. In 1988, Takahashi graduated from Bunka Fashion College in Tokyo, and just two years later, he founded UNDERCOVER. Interestingly enough, Takahashi only started to pay attention to Kawakubo after being dragged by a friend to a Comme des Garçons show. To be specific, he did this by joining punk rock tribute band the Tokyo Sex Pistols as lead vocalist adopting the nickname ‘Jonio’ to pay respects to one of his heroes, Johnny Rotten tattooing his arms up (which, FYI is an act that’s frowned upon in Japan) and, showing dedicated admiration for the work of punk designers such as Vivienne Westwood and Rei Kawakubo. Born in the historic Japanese city of Kiryū in 1969, the streetwear designer deviated from the traditions of his culture by immersing himself in the global punk movement. Either way, his tweaked and twisted sportswear is easy to get behind.At heart, Jun Takahashi – founder of UNDERCOVER – is a punk.
Oversize floral prints could’ve been exploding bombs. Royalty is a motif Takahashi has used before to equally witty effect, but the vibe was slightly more incendiary this time around. For every “have-not,” there’s a “have.” Takahashi turned playing-card royals into a print on blazers with the kings’ and queens’ eyes blacked out like the don’ts on a do’s-and-don’ts list. The Stones’s young faces stared out from inside the four suits of a card deck on a miniskirt and at the hems of pants. In another sign he’s down with the people, he co-opted low-culture concert T-shirts for high-fashion purposes.
It could’ve been a silly exercise, but Takahashi is a clever tailor, with a wicked sense of humor. There were zip-up pockets front and back and on the hips some jackets were so transformed that their fronts were mere straps covering bare breasts. To start, he mashed up jackets and coats with backpacks to give his tailoring a ready-for-battle attitude. Takahashi came at his insurrectionary message both subtly and less so. His backstage sentiments jibed with a soundtrack that featured a live version of the Rolling Stones’s song for the have-nots, “Salt of the Earth.” After his show at the Cirque d’Hiver today, Takahashi talked about righteous aggression. Jun Takahashi’s Undercover collections usually have a message, but you don’t have to get his deeper meanings to appreciate what he does.
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