In the wake of the contemplative transparencies and flower terrarium dresses that made the Undercover spring ’24 show so wistful and wondrous, this pre-collection delivered a surprisingly solid array of everyday attire. Granted, garments designed by Jun Takahashi are never ordinary, as evidenced by the cool jeans with flounced edges and blazers cut with a distinct hourglass shape.
With Takahashi remaining in Tokyo and in the absence of any leads from a showroom team, the collection seemed less about storytelling than stylistic explorations: trenches deeply sliced and vented; Undercover collegiate jerseys spliced with blouses; trousers with trompe l’œil double hems; and hoodies in the supplest leather. The reappearance of shawl collars where they wouldn’t usually be found—on cardigans and down jackets projected pleasing polish. A fellow editor browsing the racks noted that the latter in ivory would be especially chic for a winter wedding. Earthy and brighter colors were layered as though sampled from a springtime garden while a most unusual print depicted beheaded teddy bears amidst bucolic landscapes. In Takahashi’s world, macabre and tender can easily co-exist.
And although this collection felt a world away from the runway, the lookbook presented the lineup in front of poetic floral backdrops. These blooms were so enlarged that the models were scaled down to butterfly size—as though Takahashi had released them from the terrariums where they landed on solid ground. Here, the fluttery ruffles around the shoulder of a sweater or along the sleeves of an MA-1 jacket (the inner bright orange redefining the silhouette) played like hybrid nods to nature where creation flourishes in all forms.
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