Jun Takahashi
Fashion Designer
Jun Takahashi is a founder and head designer of cult Japanese label Undercover. Born in Kiryu, Gunma prefecture, Japan in September 1969, Takahashi studied Fashion Design at the Bunka Academy of Fashion. During his study period, he founded the Undercover brand with his friend and classmate, Nigo (who now heads the Japanese streetwear label A Bathing Ape). Following his graduation in 1991, Takahashi continued to develop his Undercover label and showcased his A/W 94 collection in Tokyo in March 2004. In October 2002, his Undercover S/S 03 collection debuted during Paris Fashion Week. By 2003, Takahashi had received two prestigious prizes, awarded by the Japanese daily newspaper Mainichi.
Takahashi has become renowned for his unique sense of street fashion and his use of weird and wonderful references, ranging from flower bouquets, Stanley Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange, taxidermy and Japanese Manga art. The Undercover label has received support and enthusiasm from notable designers including Miuccia Prada and Rei Kawakubo, and writer Suzy Menkes, who hailed Takahashi 'the essence of Japanese cool'.
Takahashi works from his Tokyo-based design studio entitled the Undercoverlab that was designed by the Klein Dytham architectural group in 2001, and continues to show as part of the official Paris Fashion Week schedule. As well as stores in locations including Hong Kong, Taiwan and Tokyo, the Undercover label also occupies a stall at Rei Kawakubo's retail concept Dover Street in London. In 2005, Takahashi was invited by Canon to create an Undercover limited-edition digital camera case and in 2006, was chosen to guest edit the June edition of the Belgian publication A Magazine.
Jun Takahashi is a founder and head designer of cult Japanese label Undercover. Born in Kiryu, Gunma prefecture, Japan in September 1969, Takahashi studied Fashion Design at the Bunka Academy of Fashion. During his study period, he founded the Undercover brand with his friend and classmate, Nigo (who now heads the Japanese streetwear label A Bathing Ape). Following his graduation in 1991, Takahashi continued to develop his Undercover label and showcased his A/W 94 collection in Tokyo in March 2004. In October 2002, his Undercover S/S 03 collection debuted during Paris Fashion Week. By 2003, Takahashi had received two prestigious prizes, awarded by the Japanese daily newspaper Mainichi.
Takahashi has become renowned for his unique sense of street fashion and his use of weird and wonderful references, ranging from flower bouquets, Stanley Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange, taxidermy and Japanese Manga art. The Undercover label has received support and enthusiasm from notable designers including Miuccia Prada and Rei Kawakubo, and writer Suzy Menkes, who hailed Takahashi 'the essence of Japanese cool'.
Takahashi works from his Tokyo-based design studio entitled the Undercoverlab that was designed by the Klein Dytham architectural group in 2001, and continues to show as part of the official Paris Fashion Week schedule. As well as stores in locations including Hong Kong, Taiwan and Tokyo, the Undercover label also occupies a stall at Rei Kawakubo's retail concept Dover Street in London. In 2005, Takahashi was invited by Canon to create an Undercover limited-edition digital camera case and in 2006, was chosen to guest edit the June edition of the Belgian publication A Magazine.
