The «fictional tribes» of Undercover for its S/S 25

Jun Takahashi, the multifaceted man behind Undercover, never fears shaking up conventions with striking silhouettes and an enchanting aura. For his SS25 collection, UNDERCOVER invited the Prog/Funk band Glass Beams and transformed the Grand Plateau hall in Paris into a visual and auditory experience. Stripped of any unnecessary artifice and in a sober room, the lights went out, giving way to the Australian band appearing on the main wall. These three silhouettes with golden masks sang in an unknown language, reminiscent of a mythical India, setting the tone for the show with a psychedelic concert. The designer's choice of this band, evoking Middle Eastern or Western Asian tunes, perfectly harmonizes with the collection's theme, which he acknowledges was inspired by «fictional tribes».

When the digital concert ended, the models took to the stage, dressed in casual looks imbued with bohemian flair. Classic men's suits were tailored in lightweight linen, enhanced with Takahashi’s iconic touches, featuring floating clouds and haunted houses reminiscent of Hitchcock’s film «Psycho». The first looks reflected a kind of nomadic uniform with loose Japanese-style jackets and high-hemmed pants in cobalt blue, pink, or off-white. This was followed by jackets with straps sewn to the front panels or on the elbows, while others of the same model were highlighted with zippers or slits at the joints. In the heart of the collection, Takahashi unveiled a collaboration with Champion, featuring three distinct looks. These were characterized by essential hoodies with double zippers and enlarged logos, while the sweatpants appeared loose and short. As accessories, the models wore wide-brimmed hats with mesh veils, or headdresses adorned with spikes and golden leaves, perched above lace masks covering their eyes. Most wore lace collars embellished around the neck in Victorian style, complemented by details such as brightly painted buttons, each positioned uniquely and randomly.

Next came skirts in a mix of baroque brocade and Indian-inspired styles with frayed edges, as well as another in aged gray checks paired with a jacket in Chanel style with tonal black jacquard chain-stitching. The show concluded with a procession of long dresses and trailing skirts, evoking the sari and embedded with metal, along with loose beige jackets or prints depicting entities with elongated limbs looking straight out of the film «Arrival». Takahashi’s translator explains to Vogue: «He wants to offer a men's collection that also incorporates feminine elements because he thinks this boundary is increasingly blurring». He followed with a message about the theme of the collection: «There are many categories, many tribes. I wanted to make it borderless. Because to eliminate conflicts, you have to eliminate borders - that's the metaphor. And because I work in fashion, this is how I can express that». This message perfectly fits the spirit of the times, with a society increasingly divided, trying to represent human solidarity in an era of rupture.