Although the AW18 womenswear shows have now drawn to a close, the joke's on you if you thought things would quieten down for a bit. Because what would fashion be without another designer deciding to shake everything up, eschew convention, and go about things in their own god-damned way?
The latest to profess a change of heart when it comes to his current showing schedule is Jun Takahashi, the designer behind Undercover, who has announced that last week’s “We Are Infinite” womenswear show (yep, the one Stranger Things star Sadie Sink walked in) was his last – at least for a while. Instead, Undercover will focus on menswear, which, aside from the brand’s January Pitti Uomo show and one other time in 2009, has only ever been showcased in lookbooks. Undercover will now debut at Paris Fashion Week Men’s this coming June.
Speaking to Business of Fashion, Takahashi confessed he felt a pressure in womenswear to create overly conceptual clothes that live up to the spectacle of his runway shows. The label has become known for its alternative, heavily-themed slot at fashion week (with SS18’s Cindy Sherman and The Shining-inspired presentation and AW17's utopian extravaganza, which featured a performance from artist India Menuez, particular stand-outs).
With menswear however, Takahashi believes he can still retain the theatrical aspects of his presentations yet design more wearable pieces. “Although it is important for me to make an impactful show, I would also like the clothes I design to be worn,” he stated.
Never fear, though. Takahashi isn’t abandoning womenswear completely, he is simply rethinking how he can present his collections, “in a unique but different way”. Watch this space!