Image via Supreme
For most of its 25-plus-year existence, Jun Takahashi’s Undercover has remained, by and large, just that: undercover. Among the fashion community, the brand has risen to become a favorite, often mixing its roots in Japanese streetwear, the rebelliousness of punk rock music, and a theatrical flair on the runway.
Last year, Supreme and Undercover teamed up for the first time, producing a collection of leather jackets, trench coats, sweatshirts, pants, and graphic tees that combined the anti-establishment nature of both companies. The phrase “Anarchy is the Key” and images of the signature Undercover teddy bear—its eyes obscured by a Supreme box logo, and a screw driven through its head—were brandished throughout, and sold out in typical Supreme fashion.
Now, the two brands are back at it again. With their next collaborative collection out tomorrow, it’s about time for a refresher course on all things Undercover, alongside highlights from tomorrow's Supreme x Undercover drop.
The History
As a fashion student at Bunka Fashion College in Tokyo, Takahashi officially launched Undercover in 1990. A few years later, in 1993, he sold some of his first shirts at Nowhere, a shop in Ura-Harajuku in Shibuya, Japan that he opened with his friend Nigo of A Bathing Ape. Takahashi made his runway debut with Undercover at Tokyo Fashion Week in 1994. Over the next few years, he and the brand continued to gain exposure, winning fashion awards in Japan before eventually moving its presentations to Paris in 2002. In the 20-plus years since its founding, Takahashi has made beautiful, ornate runway shows a trademark of the brand.
The Designer
As a teen in Japan, Takahashi played in a cover band called The Tokyo Sex Pistols; the ethos of punk rock has informed the brand since its inception. High on the list of his influences is Rei Kawakubo, founder of Comme des Garcons. After seeing a CDG show as a student, Takahashi says he found his direction within fashion, and Kawakubo has remained a friend and mentor to him. As an early backer of Undercover, she convinced Takahashi to move his shows to Paris in the early ‘00s.
Also a strong influence on Jun is his obsession with running. As a member of the GIRA (Gyakusou International Running Association) Running Club, his love for the sport eventually led to a running-focused collection with Nike—more on that later.
The Look
The Undercover look mostly follows the punk outline that Takahashi champions. Patches and fringe are commonplace. Words and phrases like “CHAOS” or “Fuck the Past, Fuck the Future” are often printed or embroidered. Screen-printed images are typically blown out to take up most of the garment—like the coaches’ jacket in this Supreme collection (above). While pieces often look DIY in nature, they’re meticulously crafted. Over the course of its existence, Undercover has been a regular producer of “grail”-level pieces that are difficult to come by—and come with a sometimes disgustingly high price tag. Just a few of the brand’s greatest hits: The “She Brings the Rain” jacket, the knit-sleeve, leather “Ethnic Rider” jacket, patched Scab jeans, and pretty much anything with the line “WE MAKE NOISE NOT CLOTHES.”
The Collaborations
Undercover has a fairly long history of collaborating with other brands. Before Supreme, the brand collaborated on sneakers and apparel with Bape and worked with Nike and Fragment Design on sneakers. Takahashi also regularly works with toymaker Medicom for various designs like a Hamburger Lamp and Gilapple.
In 2010, Takahashi and Nike debuted the Gyakusou running collection that channeled Jun’s running obsession into a regularly-released performance running apparel line. Undercover also loaned its name to Uniqlo for the Uniqlo UNDERCOVER collection (aka UU)—which brought distilled Undercover designs to the mass market retailer—and to Dover Street Market for exclusive designs for the high-end shopping destination. Now, the Supreme x Undercover collaborations—which also bring Dr. Martens into the mix—are a promising partnership that most hope will continue into the foreseeable future, adding to the long list of forward-thinking, highly-coveted designs from the Japanese label.