Undercover Spring 2010

For me personally, Jun Takahashi’s sportswear collections are, albeit not as whimsical as some of his others, just as interesting as far as detail is concerned and even more so in their amazing functionality. Granted, one of the parkas from his FW07 collection is probably the most impressive garment I own in terms of its purposeful detailing, custom fabrics, numerous options for interchangeability. So I guess my fascination with that thing probably fuels my excitement toward his collections of this persuasion, but really his active/outerwear is just as thoughtful as any of his other types of pieces.

I love how he consistently cycles his collections, giving each of his aesthetics a season of it’s own to shine, instead of trying to over-diversify with a mix of everything in each one. It’s great not only that he has multiple styles, but for how one never suffers for or due to the other. Not to mention his menswear has been staggeringly good the past few seasons and I am loving how he’s created a cohesion in theme and color palette between the two lines.

This collection is current yet inventive and contains so many fantastic pieces. The progressive nature of his design works so well when he applies it toward function. Undercover’s aesthetic is so untainted, so devoid of trends and outside influence, yet manages to keep it exciting each season, while slowly reworking and refining the key pieces of the brand.This season’s simple presentation is really lovely with the sea of lights as the backdrop. If I had to pick something to replace it’d definitely be those clutches and bring back these bags instead. Otherwise… amazing pieces and proportions throughout, as always, and I am especially loving some of the jackets… which I’m sure are going to be to die for in person.

Undercover Menswear Spring 2010

Milan, menswear, Undercover, day 1… what? Usually Milan is slim pickings and especially during menswear so you can imagine my delight at UC being thrown into the mix. Mr. Takahashi did a nice job of delivering the usual goods, while making it all very Milan-friendly; tons of his signature outerwear coupled with an endless stampede of narrow cu blazers, slim trousers and other various smart attire. A worthy successor to his intense and brilliantly dark winter collection, this one’s got lovely color palette in a range of muted tones, really nice plays on proportion and as always with Jun, a ton of practical, functional and inventive pieces. Lovely!!

Undercover Spring 2005

While we all know I am pretty Undercover-obsessed in general, there are 3 collections that sit high above the rest for me. One is the recent SS09, the other is the unforgettable FW06 and the other is this stunner here. “…but beautiful”, the second edition to be exact.

I collect pieces from these 3 collections whenever I have been able to over the years, and while say GuruGuru is much more in line with my usual ‘look’, these But Beautiful pieces are always the most precious, whimsical and fun to wear, compared to the other collections. And never has a name been more apt; the perfect way to describe these pieces really is, “strange… but beautiful”.

As we all know, Takahashi is a master of contradictory design, we’ve seen it so many times from him and it’s always done with such class, even if there’s also a heavy dose of irony or cheekiness involved. However, sometimes he just puts out a really dreamy collection which has all the elements of strange – but also an incomprehensible beauty that will both puzzle and entice us… but mostly the latter. This collection always really stood out for me in that way; it is just gorgeous, despite all of the oddities. The fact that all of the clothes, no matter how unusual – are completely practical and 100% functional. I have found from wearing some pieces. that the deconstruction work is mostly on the surface and does not ‘interfere’ with the garment’s form, from the wearer’s point of view.

The fabrics of this collection are one of it’s strongest attributes; it really feels like revisiting your childhood room, finding forgotten nightgowns, old doll clothes and a bunch of memories… reinvented into something you can wear as an adult. The runway styling is completely amazing as well as Kamo's genius hair. That aside, though, these pieces posses so much unexpected detailing that every single one is a work of art all on it’s own.

Undercover SS09 "Grace" photo book

Out of respect, I don’t feel right scanning the entire book or even high-res of the individual photos. However, it is too precious not to share to some degree, so I selected a few of the photos/pages to post in here as a small preview for those interested.

Undercover Menswear Fall 2009

Sorry I have been MIA but of course, there is nothing better to return with than an Undercover menswear collection which is on par with his womenswear collection, for a change. Not only on par but they are cohesive with one another and this contains man-friendly versions of some of the best pieces from the womenswear collection, which is fabulous.

There are still notable differences between the collections, of course. For instance this one has a more standard look book style for the presentation. The shattered glass is lovely, by the way and I love it on the backdrop as the shards appear to be suspended. Also… despite the extreme cohesion with the womenswear pieces, this collection also contains prominent elements all it’s own such as the pieces paying homage to the great Joy Division – which is so fantastic, by the way!

I’m sure it goes without saying that the outerwear is fantastic… but it’s fantastic for so many reasons. Usually his menswear stuff has a more outdoors-y, backwoods feel… but not this season. This season, he’s come correct with a broad range of outerwear, from modest to more flamboyant, and it all looks delicious. The capes are so divine and I love that he’s done the gradients for men as well. It’s also great how he’s done a ton of functional jackets, and in addition, a bunch of more formally cut ones.

He’s definitely one of my favs when it comes to cutting a blazer – for both his mens and womens lines – and this collection has a ton of lovely ones. The detailing on them is also pretty breathtaking if you’re into that sort of thing… lots of contrasting panels and unusual fabric combos. Aside from the blazers there are a ton of other stand out pieces as well, such as gradient knit hoodies (!).

Accessories are amazing but not much different from the women’s so I wont babble too much about them. I was so glad to see he used the gloves here also, though… particularly the long ones because that is so hot for a guy. The backpacks though are really nice – but his bags are unconditionally amazing in every little way – so that’s also no surprise. The footwear is great; the range of styles shown is pretty impressive.

Undercover Fall 2009

Well, it’s about that time… that familiar time between frivolously enchanting collections, when Takahashi hits us with one of his collections that scream, “I can do beautiful more beautiful than most designers when I want to… and I can do an amazing and astoundingly functional winter outerwear-based collection better than anyone when I want to”. It may not be as precious, but the magic of Takahashi’s details and the sheer thought that goes into any of his collections is so admirable.

He is indeed the master of high end outerwear as not only are his designs intricate, sharp and amazing, the functionality is just beyond any expectations from a high-end fashion brand. For instance, he uses custom materials which actually deflect rain. The hoods on his jackets are often able to be manipulated due to bendable wire lining the brim, so that you can always fully shield your face. I bought one of the parkas from FW07, which was my favorite of his outerwear-based collections and it’s so impressive on every level that in some ways, I almost look forward to these collections as much as ones such as Guru Guru and Grace.

The fact that the show took place in a frigid Japanese forest says it all, really. These clothes are functional foremost and just happen to have the added bonus of being an aesthetic dream as well. The color palette narrated similarly to a fire igniting and then extinguishing.

I am in love with the gradients; he’s done them on so many different fabrics and even the bags (!!!), which is so good. I love the shoes also although, I will admit that they’re a bit too close for comfort to those flats that Marni did a few seasons back with the contrasting black strap. These ones are bound to be cooler, though, so who really cares? :p

The cloaks are so incredible and I love how they’re styled with the metal helmet type of headgear… which is also an amazing element of the show. There aren’t many dresses but the ones that do make an appearance are totally precious, cut-wise as well as the fabrics, and added a nice ethereal air to the collection.

Accessories, as always, are to die for… the bags, gloves and stockings are all great. The detailing within some of the accessories is so intricate and it’s those little things that make Takahashi so special. Even in an outerwear collection, no element is left behind… everything is thoughtful and perfect down to the last detail.

Undercover Fall 2006

If I’m going to start posting old collections which I love, then surely this one has to be one of the first to go up. And if ever there was a collection where Takahashi showcases an undeniable manifestation of his genius, then again, here it is. This season was a sight to behold as it encompassed a good degree of what he is all about. It’s a veritable whirlwind of gorgeous and innovative concepts, pulled off with the finest of execution.

His flair for combining functionality with glamour and subsequently spawning mind-blowing results is so apparent in this collection and has since become one of the things Takahashi is known best for. The luxurious but quirky details manage to make it all just that much more special as there is so much to look at and so much to admire from every facet. I own one of the dresses from this collection and it is a dream; layer upon delicate layer of silk, with such fine details and contrasts in texture. The intricacy and high end quality of his work, not only conceptually but execution-wise is truly something special.

Many people marvel at his seamless ‘transitions’ from streetwear to high end design, but in my opinion, what is most impressive to me about Takahashi is that he doesn’t so much transition, as to pull from his many sources of inspiration and different creative visions and combines the concepts into fresh ideas all together. I don’t think he abandons one for the other but rather draws from a more advanced playing field due to his vast talents and styles. I think they all benefit from each other greatly.

Undercover Spring 2009

I am absolutely blown away by this collection and presentation; it’s by far the most magical, all in all, than I have experienced in quite a long time. The room filled with sterile white mannequins donning sterile white clothing, coordinately colored jewelry and footwear. The walls are decorated with massive, mysterious UC photographs and provide a perfectly haunting vibe to the clothing. The collection may be all white but there is certainly no lack of beauty or brilliance. Each garment has mass quantities of thoughtful details to the point where I can barely get over it, it’s all just so lovely. Silhouette-wise it’s also a grand slam; not too fitted and not too loose.

I can’t applaud the presentation enough. Usually I’m not thrilled about showroom presentations to begin with – let alone ones with mannequins – as they usually do a large disservice to the collection, but this one is truly a treat and it all works so well. Honorable mention has to also go to the adorable cycloptic creatures perched on the mannequin’s shoulders… they’re so cute to begin with and the fact that they’re wearing such beautiful jewelry makes them all the more endearing.

There aren’t enough good things to say about this collection. Jun Takahashi is absolutely brilliant and if that fact wasn’t set in stone before, it sure is now.