It was nothing like the punk and hardcore prominent at that time.Īccording to the law of averages something like G.I.S.M., combining so many influences, should balance out to a bland muddle: Mix a range of colours and you will get brown. It was dangerous, intense, exotic, and struck a chord with me that only very few bands after did. when I got the P.E.A.C.E./War compilation in the early ‘90ies. You had to get out there, outside your cocoon, and trial and error to find new and exciting things – things that did not necessarily mirror your tastes. It was aeons before the curated echo-chamber world, where no algorithms of Amazon and iTunes chose what would suit your taste. I vividly remember the first time I was introduced to G.I.S.M. Vibrant, ever-changing streetscapes and fantastic food.Ī country where you can determine your location by the shading of your miso soup – if you find yourself in the East it is dark and salty, in the Western half it is sweet and light.Įssentially, Japan is a country daring me to find anything that is not completely desirable. G.I.S.M., Jun Takahashi and Undercover: The Love AffairĪ near-flawless culture of hospitality, design, cuisines, architecture, and a wonderful sense of ritual that pervades its society.Ī country ruled by meticulous and supreme organization, people respectful to the point of being invisible with an innate sense of courtesy. ![]() Around the time that the pair started their NOWHERE store in Ura-Harajuku, Tokyo. This moment marked the beginning of luxury fashion streetwear.Jun Takahashi & Nigo pictured together in the early 90s. 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. 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. 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. ![]() At heart, Jun Takahashi – founder of UNDERCOVER – is a punk.
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