35 Years On, Life is Still Beautiful at Undercover
Review of Undercover Fall 2025 Fashion Show
By Angela Baidoo
THE COLLECTION
THE VIBE
Masterful Maximalism, Commemorative Collector’s Items, Animal Magnetism
35 years ago Jun Takahashi took a chance and launched Undercover, and as today’s show title ‘But Beautiful 4’ – the original song ‘But Beautiful’ was written by Jimmy Van Heusen and Johnny Burke – suggests whether you succeed or fail taking a chance is a beautiful thing.
35 years is as good a a time as any for a moment of reflection and revisiting ones back catalogue, both to consider whats past and to explore the opportunity of introducing your brand to a new set of customers via a greatest hits compilation. For fall 2025 Takahashi’s collection was specifically centred around a collection from 20 years ago i.e. the fall 2004 collection based on the androgynous style of legendary artist Patti Smith during the 1970s, but today’s commemorative show was not just a rehash of the past as it was lensed through a new dimension as the designer was equally influenced by plush artist Anne Valerie-Dupond (who has also worked with Kenzo and Comme Des Garçons in the past). An artist known for creating sculptures with fabrics inspired a squishy softness in todays silhouettes, whether through the subtle padding of skirts and jackets to avant-garde puffer jackets with elongated shoulders. Culminating in the ultimate set of plushies which took the form of two abstract bear bandeau dresses. That 2004 collection also played dress-up with animals as several models heads were covered in padded fabric masks mimicking birds, also inspired at the time by Valerie-Dupond’s work. While throughout the symbolism of winged animals and woodland creatures was everywhere with sculpted bunnies adorning platform shoes and embroidered feathers creating couture-like wings from the sleeves of an equally embellished blazer, which the model proceeded to flap as if taking on the persona she was depicting.
The collection was also reminiscent of the “adult casual style” the designer referred to in his show notes, which followed in the mid-2010s when blazers became statement pieces and were worn with cargo pants or straight-leg jeans (the sweatpants from a Champion collab were also thrown into the mix) and heeled pumps – J. Crew 2015 lookbook anyone? This appears to be a moment in history that Takahashi feels will define the zeitgeist come fall, and if anything we can already confirm that the return of a slimmer-fit jean is imminent, so it is only a matter of time that we also fall for this collection of ‘Near-stalgia’.
THE DIRECTION
THE QUOTE
Now, 20 years after its original creation, I have decided to reinvent this personal best collection by focusing on the zeitgeist I feel today and an adult casual style.
Jun Takahashi, Creative Director, Undercover
THE WRAP UP
There was a lot to like in this collection, and as to be expected with an anniversary show many of the looks had an heirloom quality to them. Whether created purposely or not they are destined to become future heirlooms or collectors items, from the “Love is funny, or its sad, or its quiet, or its mad” lyrics from ‘But Beautiful’ embroidered in delicate gold thread across flat leather slippers to the opening off-white Jacquard suit embellished with gold trinkets and mother-of-pearl buttons.
