Cryptomnesia is the name for the phenomenon in which an idea you have already forgotten returns to you as a new idea. Junio experienced this while conceiving his collection for Paris Fashion Week. He re-remembered his design process for his infamous 1999 Relief Collection while forgetting the old motifs and creating new ones.
A brand that is too multifaceted to fit cleanly into one label, but often is described as “punk”, “grunge”, or simply “rebellious”. UNDERCOVER was founded by Jun “Junio” Takahashi in 1990 after being inspired by the fierce punk community in Japan at the time. He took elements from DIY fashion, alternative bands, and anti-establishment ideologies, turning those elements into hand-printed T-shirts that Junio printed while studying at the Bunka Fashion College in Tokyo. After founding the NOWHERE Boutique to sell his work on a larger scale, UNDERCOVER earned its reputation as a forward-thinking brand and started to head towards greater things. UNDERCOVER’s first collection was released in 1994 and presented at a Tokyo fashion show, then in 2003 Junio made his first appearance at Paris Women’s Fashion Week.
This year, UNDERCOVER presented their Spring 2027 Ready-To-Wear Collection. Junio Takahashi truly embodied the idea of put together but not polished, with vintage-style garments inspired by the 18th-century used to create 1990s and early 2000s silhouettes. The motifs of graphic tees, beanies, and tight-fitting pants evokes the West Coast Skate style of dress from the 1990s while the stripes, lace-up boots, and hooded jackets pull from the idealized 2000s styles. The shoes are reminiscent of both the Louis heel of the 18th Century and the kitten heel of the early 2000s, creating a distinct piece that brings the collection together.
The choice of garment is very unique for a collection. It includes everything from denim jackets to blazers to nightgowns and each one has that particular UNDERCOVER touch to it. While some of the garments are formal, they are also distressed and worn, like Look 45, with uneven stitching and holes in them. The proportions create a fashion that is not often seen with Ready-To-Wear garments, expanding on the zeitgeist of the eras in which inspired the collection. This whole collection really evokes the DIY roots that Junio started with.
The color palette is expansive with these pieces, reds and yellows flow as we fall into autumn, but the greens and pinks pick the collection back up for the spring. Despite being a Spring collection, each piece really could be worn in any season, which is a testament to the craftsmanship. The entire collection is very well thought out and works together well. The colors bleed nicely into each other and even the shoes work very well for each outfit. UNDERCOVER has, once again, mixed DIY and couture to create an entirely unique collection for Spring 2027.
Words by Ace Gauthier
Graphic by Kaleah Hall