Initial reaction:

A precise take on the artifice of beauty propelled by invasive surgery. The faces of the Undercover women were frozen by plastic and their clothes illustrated that journey from hospital bed to bought-beauty. It was an open-ended discussion on our eternal quest for youth, but amongst all this social commentary Jun Takahashi didn’t forget about the clothes. Panelled knitwear with chiffon trails, oversized bombers, varsity jackets and double layered, twisted denim became the wearable manifestations of Takahashi’s surgical investigation. 

Plastic not so fantastic:

The designer ripped into plastic surgery culture with both literal and subtle allusions. Cartoonish daggers and flowers graced lab coats as symbols of going under the knife in order to obtain blooming youth. Miuccia Prada already passed comment on the surface-deep level of beauty and here, Takahashi added his own poetic take on the matter. The final passage of jackets walked out to Johnny Cash’s cover of “Hurt” and were adorned with red and silver metallic shard. They represented the blood-splattered mirrors that are a result of our vanity.  

How it was worn:

The models wore clear plastic masks which covered their eyes or the bottom halves of their faces – freezing their smiles and disfiguring their noses and eyes. Exaggerated jewellery and bedazzled iPhone cases seemed to be referencing a modern day obsession with bling. 

The soundtrack to Undercover AW15: