In 1990, while still a humble student of fashion at the prestigious Bunka Academy in Tokyo, a young Jun Takahashi began to design the romantic enigma that is now Undercover. Although unsure of his foray into the industry at first, the gifted designer saw the light when he attended his first Comme des Garçons show—witnessing the avant-garde greatness that is Rei Kawakubo at work. This presentation ignited a flame within the young mastermind, giving way to a future of well-thought-out ideas and feelings taking shape through clothing.
Languages piece together letters, single words, and feelings to form narratives for an audience to understand, and Takahashi, quite literally, has made use of the conventions of language throughout his years of creating clothing. In retrospect, adding striking words and phrases to his pieces gave them celebrity-like fame and recognition that could only be compared to the punk rockers that inspired him. While the notorious “REBEL GODS” jacket, “She Brings The Rain” leather rider and the brand’s unofficial motto “WE MAKE NOISE NOT CLOTHES” spring forth into the mind of any Undercover lover out there, some might not even know where these words come from or why Jun chose to use them.
