Never one to follow the beaten track, UNDERCOVER’s Jun Takahashi is a master of appropriation and underhanded social comment, choosing rather unconventional methods to show his rather unconventional clothes. For Fall Winter 2010, he once again eschewed a runway presentation, this time in direct coherence with his theme for the season entitled ‘Avakareta Life’, a Japanese concept subtitled ‘the disclosure’. Releasing his lookbook online, viral communication worked its magic to quietly spread the word, ensuring that this collection of ‘normal clothes’ for ‘normal people’ reached the masses – maintaining an artistic integrity without too much  hype or glamour.

A natural follow up from the ‘Less but better’ concept of Spring Summer 2010, Jun Takahashi retreated to the most intimate for fall, choosing to photograph the very wearable collection on himself and his wife Riko in staged ‘every day’ scenarios, however tainted with his unsettling moods and an underlying hint of the  perverse. Inspired by Hitchcock films, the backdrops place the two ‘models’ in a library, living room, bathroom, snowy forest, metro station, street corner and many more bourgeois settings, but with a detachment that is revealed upon closer inspection, when one notices the blatant backdrop sheet – simply a 2-D rendering of each setting shot in a simple studio setup with dark wooden floors.

The collection itself is complex still, however pared back it may seem without the fanfare of ‘statement’ pieces (that so often punctuate a runway collection yet rarely make it into stores). Based on the wardrobe staples of streetwear, ‘Avakareta Life’ retained the technical finery that is Jun’s trademark, but with a homely softness and a muted colour palette of murky pastels and army colours. For the womenswear, he imagined  such utilitarian pieces as a quilted puffer jacket and vest created entirely in pale blue silk, or knee high boots covered in a blanket tartan. For mens, the classic punk perfecto leather jacket returns, as well as washed and faded t-shirts, with stretched necklines and prints of atomic formulas and distorted Disney logos, stating “CLOCKWISE – the mentality of reverse running”.

This statement is expanded on for each garment’s label, in a profound statement by the label:

“THE MENTALITY OF REVERSE RUNNING

Current ready-to-wear collections are primarily aimed at celebrities or fashion insiders. This fashion produced for the catwalk only lives in the magazines, it is totally detached from reality. This ‘unreal’ system is sustained by the fashion and marketing industy. On the other side, mass-produced and cheap clothes now determine fashion trends. But is their any passion embedded in this soulless mass production of cheap production? Promotion and marketing consume most of the money the sales of these clothes generate. Ordinary consumers are attracted to fast fashionchain stores and even form long queues outside them. Money has become the new authority, this is the new trend. Everything has become associated to money. Is this what fashion ultimately about? What role does fashion or design play in this scenario? The reason why we at Undercover like to pursue fashion is because we believe that fashion enriches our daily lives. Although our clothes may not be the one, they are still properly designed. We try to embed love and passion into every single item we design and produce. This is our style. It would be great if more consumers would support our philosophy of this. Our aim is to build a community of like minded people who strive with us towards a different reality where the true values of fashion matter again. Last collection’s theme was Less But Better. With our current collection we continue this philosophy whilst at the same time extending it by integrating issues of daily life. We call it Undercover”

Such revelations were translated with equal parts sincerity and sardonic wit – with accessories in the shape of milk bottles, onions and baguettes, and plastic bags emblazoned with “not buy unnecessary things”. A leather envelope satchel was printed like a newspaper with one of Jun’s GRACE dolls, continuing this theme of strengthening and adding a permanence to the throw-away aspects of modern society.

The whole effect held the weight of relevance coupled with a quiet mocking at the state of world politics, the economy, and the trends of ecological and sustainable consumption. Jun may not be on trend in fashion, but he is certainly on topic in the wider state of global affairs.