–
On the 35th anniversary of his brand, Jun Takanashi has reached the apex of his personal poetry. Taking inspiration from the work of French plush sculptor Anne Valerie Dupond, and the unfaltering style that is the life, work, and fashion of Patti Smith, Takanashi re-examines his own oeuvre with a uniquely whimsical wisdom. Nina Simone plays somberly, beautifully, powerfully in the background. Takanashi explores juxtapositions in all forms to create pieces and looks that embrace the common ground found between elegant and grotesque, arbitrary and articulate. It’s all quite jazzy, actually.
He utilizes the recurring motif embellishments of his brand codes and silhouettes to weave a comprehensively impressive collection that explores all of his signature fusion of materials and styles in vignettes that pay romantic homage to the multifacetedness of femininity, creativity, craft and functionality. Hodgepodge has never been more elegant. It’s unequivocally playful, yet strong, and ethereal. Sweatsuits in unexpected colors and form are punctuated by rhinestone encrusted floral print stilettos which evoke both the image of a businesswoman on the run to Pilates, or a young girl playing dress up in mummy’s closet. Femininity through the lense of Undercover is free and interpretive.
The typical girlboss blazer-trouser-heels combo is reinterpreted in wonderfully textural materials like silk brocade, boucle wool, matted furs in cuts that take influence from varying periods while maintaining very steadfast modernity. A fuzzy white tri-button suit jacket evokes turn of the century tailoring influences, another burgundy jacket with long bunched arms and embroidery steps into more avant-garde bohemianism, referencing the maximalist embellishment of Edwardian evening gowns, perhaps. Fun printed linings pop out from under collars and rolled up sleeves. Fabrics are quilted together with Frankenstein transparency and adorned with beads, crystals, buttons, pins and jewels in an array of colors that bring romantic playfulness to these business-casual silhouettes. Each look is a story in itself with details worth decoding. A bomber jacket in royal blue tinsel paired with long printed silk, a pastel yellow thermal is complemented by a massive gold feather necklace…
His last looks presented are the theatrical height of this collection. One arm of a black suit is encrusted with massive black feathers like the wing of a raven. A strapless mini dress is created out of massive stuffed nylon to create an enormously plush bustle. Paired with a spiky tiara, she looks a bit like a ballerina straight out of Pan’s Labyrinth. One in white and one in black, two angles with sparkly sculpted wings come out and circle one another. This final act underlines the artistry of Undercover despite its often practical silhouettes and contemporality. It’s their best show in a long time, reinforcing Takanashi’s presence and high ranking stature in the arena of Paris Fashion Week.
