Undercover's Spring / Summer 2003 "Scab" collection was one of Jun Takahashi's most notable collections. This was the first collection he presented at Paris Fashion Week, which was a symbolic and prestigious moment for Jun and undoubtedly marked a major turning point in his career.
In his "Scab" collection we can notice many similarities with the Crust Punk counterculture, such as visuals of decay and deterioration. Key pieces from this collection are the ethnic crust pants and backpack, where individual patches were stitched over each other to replicate human scabs. Jun Takahashi has been known to blend bondage, gothic, baroque, and grotesque aesthetics in many of his collections.
At the end of the collection Jun Takahashi walked into a controversial theme that no designer at the time had ever wanted to consider with subtly referencing 9/11. He finished the performance by covering the models in a variety of vibrant burqas which shocked the audience in a way that no one had anticipated. This helped the collection and designer gain unprecedented levels of recognition and acclaim from the public and the media.
Before creating his Japanese cult brand Undercover, Jun Takahashi was the lead vocalist for the "Tokyo Sex Pistols" punk tribute band. Later, he made the decision to start his own company, Undercover, which unquestionably drew inspiration from punk fashion labels like Malcolm McLaren, Vivienne Westwood, and Seditionares.
All in all, this season is one of Jun’s most iconic and had one of the most powerful messages presented on the runway. In the years to come, "Scab" will continue to have a tremendous impact on our culture of fashion as a whole.
In his "Scab" collection we can notice many similarities with the Crust Punk counterculture, such as visuals of decay and deterioration. Key pieces from this collection are the ethnic crust pants and backpack, where individual patches were stitched over each other to replicate human scabs. Jun Takahashi has been known to blend bondage, gothic, baroque, and grotesque aesthetics in many of his collections.
At the end of the collection Jun Takahashi walked into a controversial theme that no designer at the time had ever wanted to consider with subtly referencing 9/11. He finished the performance by covering the models in a variety of vibrant burqas which shocked the audience in a way that no one had anticipated. This helped the collection and designer gain unprecedented levels of recognition and acclaim from the public and the media.
Before creating his Japanese cult brand Undercover, Jun Takahashi was the lead vocalist for the "Tokyo Sex Pistols" punk tribute band. Later, he made the decision to start his own company, Undercover, which unquestionably drew inspiration from punk fashion labels like Malcolm McLaren, Vivienne Westwood, and Seditionares.
All in all, this season is one of Jun’s most iconic and had one of the most powerful messages presented on the runway. In the years to come, "Scab" will continue to have a tremendous impact on our culture of fashion as a whole.