In the wake of the contemplative transparencies and floral terrarium dresses that made the Undercover spring ’24 show so wistful and wondrous, this pre-collection delivered a surprisingly solid range of everyday wear. Admittedly, the garments designed by Jun Takahashi are never ordinary, as evidenced by the cool jeans with frilled edges and blazers with a striking hourglass shape.
With Takahashi remaining in Tokyo and no indications of a showroom team, the collection seemed less about storytelling than stylistic explorations: deeply cut and ventilated trenches; Undercover collegiate jerseys spliced with blouses; pants with trompe l’œil double hem; and hoodies made of the smoothest leather. The return of shawl collars where they were not normally found: on cardigans and down jackets exuded a pleasant shine. A fellow editor browsing the racks noted that the latter in ivory would be particularly chic for a winter wedding. Earthy and brighter colors were layered as if from a spring garden, while a very unusual print depicted decapitated teddy bears amid rural landscapes. In Takahashi’s world, the macabre and the tender can easily coexist.
And although this collection felt very different from the catwalk, the lookbook presented the line-up against poetic floral backdrops. These flowers were so enlarged that the models were reduced to the size of a butterfly, as if Takahashi had released them from the terrariums where they had landed on solid ground. Here, the fluttering ruffles around the shoulder of a sweater or along the sleeves of an MA-1 jacket (the inside bright orange that redefines the silhouette) played as hybrid nods to nature where creation blooms in all forms.
