PFW SS24: Undercover

JUN TAKAHASHI held his spring-summer 2024 collection for Undercover during Paris Fashion Week. The show was mysterious yet surprising with its demonstration of a versatile collection which exuded themes of transparency and a surrealist world.

The show took place in an abandoned parking lot and was dimly lit with chandleries placed along the runway with a tulle-like covering giving the atmosphere an ominous ambience.

This season tulle material was utilised throughout the collection covering a variety of looks while suits dresses, dress pants and shorts were recurrent silhouettes. A tulle white suit with playing cards inserted between launched the show and was followed by numerous other outfits fitting the theme.

The collection exhibited a thread of unpredictability with contrast in silhouettes seen when comparing the front and back of looks. Strapless dresses adorned with roses and embroidered spiders possess a sense of fullness with their bustle-like structure at the back made from vibrant coloured mesh-like fabrics.

Shirts and jackets trailed displaying as waist length in the front and cropped and cut with a frayed hem at the back.

The collection exuded mystery and enchantment throughout as white extended wings adorned the back of coats and blazers as if angel wings had been suppressed. The unworldly motives continued with Neo Rauch paintings illustrating various coats, co-ords and dresses which almost added an unsettling nature to the collection with its depiction of indecipherable or distorted-looking faces.

Ruffled ribbon-looking tops and skirt co-ords displayed warped faces adding an essence of surrealism to the collection.

Casual and utilitarian-like clothing are given a different perspective with their subjective slouchy and structured fits adorned with various coloured tulles.

Patterns were common throughout the collection as several looks featured numerous garments with polka dot and floral embroidery designs just to name two.

“The show came to a close with a bang as Takahashi featured transparent plastic structured dresses covered in tulle. Inside the constructs lived colourful roses and butterflies almost resembling a living ecosystem maintained inside a flower terrarium.

Wrapped in transparency, this collection appears as deep mist. Garments flow like a fading memory; a surreal world appearing and disappearing in the dark. I believe that Neo Rauch paintings at our show convey such view of the world.” — Jun Takahashi

by Nicole Pereira