Purple Magazine
— Purple #43 S/S 2025
The Tokyo Diary Issue
jun takahashi
UNDERCOVER
interview and portrait
by ALEPH MOLINARI
photo
by NICO PEREZ
Kako Takahashi, model
Jun Takahashi, the designer behind Undercover, redefines street fashion with fantasy and theatrical narratives. Lately, he has taken up painting with a fresh interpretation of the surreal.
ALEPH MOLINARI — You began Undercover in the early ’90s, more than 30 years ago. How did the name come about?
JUN TAKAHASHI — It was about making something mysterious and almost suspicious.
ALEPH MOLINARI — So, it’s about hiding, in a sense. Because your clothes are also very open. You can’t hide while wearing your collection — it’s very visible. So, is it partly a reflection of identity?
JUN TAKAHASHI — The name itself doesn’t have a deep meaning to it. I just chose it with the feelings I had at the moment.
ALEPH MOLINARI — There has always been a punk, subculture approach to your designs. Where does that influence come from? Is it from music?
JUN TAKAHASHI — The first inspiration I got from music was the attitude — for example, punk, the breakaway attitude toward schooling, that kind of spirit. I was also inspired by the visuals in music, like CD covers and posters.
ALEPH MOLINARI — Was that a way of rebelling against the hermetism and traditional values of Japanese culture?
JUN TAKAHASHI — It’s not necessarily that I was against traditional Japanese culture, because the music culture here was also a part of the subculture and was very unique in many ways.
ALEPH MOLINARI — So, it was more of an aesthetic approach, then. There’s an important element of narrative in your designs. The Fall/Winter 2024 show was basically a day in the life of a woman. There was a very beautiful text narrated by Wim Wenders. It was very touching because it was not about the music or the rhythm — it was about the woman’s story. How do you come up with these narratives?
JUN TAKAHASHI — For that particular season, the concept was daily life. It was more of a concrete idea, the narrative of a woman working in the city. For other seasons, I tend to make a fantasy collection, especially for women. But every time, I’m trying to create a story.
ALEPH MOLINARI — What are the influences that create these narratives for you?
JUN TAKAHASHI — The inspiration can be different for each season, but the core of Undercover’s design is the same. I’m adding a twist or a flavor to basic, everyday clothes. That has been the core concept for several seasons.
ALEPH MOLINARI — So, it’s about elevating everyday life, in a sense, about creating a fantasy that enables you to dream and enter a new world. Do you feel you move toward the inside or the outside of your culture?
JUN TAKAHASHI — It depends on the season. In recent seasons, I’ve been trying to take a more internal approach. But at the same time, I’m not thinking about that too much.
ALEPH MOLINARI — Do you feel technology is affecting fashion — the way we digitize images, or the way that patterns are created from 3D printing?
JUN TAKAHASHI — I use new technology when working with Nike or, more recently, The North Face. For these collaborations, we had to use technology to make our products more functional. For our Spring/Summer 2024 collection, we had to use 3D printing technology to make the terrarium dress with the butterflies inside. We couldn’t have made it otherwise. So, we use these technologies when we need to, but when I’m producing my own collection, I communicate with my team and draw by hand, without using any tools. So, I mix analog and digital technology to produce my collections.
ALEPH MOLINARI — You being very musical plays an essential role in how you conceive a show. What’s your musical approach to a show? Does it come before or after?
JUN TAKAHASHI — To me, music plays a role in creating something. For some shows or collections, I listen to music and get inspired. Other times, I make the collection first, and the music comes after. It also depends on the season. But yes, music is a big part of my collections.
ALEPH MOLINARI — How do you see Japanese fashion today? It seems that a lot of the fashion in Asia is shifting toward South Korea and China. Is there an interesting new generation of Japanese designers?
JUN TAKAHASHI — I don’t really have any personal connections or relationships with anyone from the younger generation, like I had with Rei Kawakubo. Or maybe I just don’t know much about it. I heard there’s some great talent in South Korea because it’s quite liberal and vibrant, a mix of cultures. So, technically it’s not the young generation, but the vernacular of Japanese brands, which are once again becoming popular all over the world. Japanese fashion was already booming a long time ago, but now the brands are increasingly recognized. So, I clearly respect the designers who are involved in this and leading this movement.
ALEPH MOLINARI — What is your creative process?
JUN TAKAHASHI — Undercover has its own unique way of building a collection, in the way we make the patterns and design the clothes. Other brands define the concept first, and then the designer designs. But with Undercover — there’s me and two other people — the three of us decide on the concept first, and we create entire stylings before drawing a single design. I’m already seeing what the next venue will look like, so I can include that atmosphere into the design. Then, I’ll start designing.
ALEPH MOLINARI — So, you first look at the conditions, and then you design. You start from the imagination, like a conceptual artist.
JUN TAKAHASHI — Yes, I don’t know why I ended up creating collections this way. This is the way that I think works best for me.
END
ALL ARTWORK COURTESY OF JUN TAKAHASHI AND WKM GALLERY
