Undercover Hamburger Soft Toy

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—01. Presented in burger box packaging.

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I have never been much of a follower of limited edition Japanese toys, but Undercover's recently reissued plush hamburger is one such collectible I'm actually contemplating purchasing. It’s not just my affinity for America’s most enduring meal compelling me to do so, but also the gentle monster the brand have created and its wry packaging.

—Available from End

Labyrinth of Undercover

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Tokyo Opera City Art Gallery
3-20-2 Nishishinjuku, Shinjuku
Tokyo 163-1403 Japan
October 10 – December 23, 2015

Words

This fall Tokyo Opera City Art Gallery is hosting Labyrinth of Undercover, an exhibition celebrating the brand's past 25 years. The show will trace the history of Undercover through a collection archive which will also include runway footage and design notes from Jun Takahashi.

—Tokyo Opera City Art Gallery
—Undercover

Undercover Long Coat

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—01. Magnetized clamp closure.

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Hand graphics are some of the prominent imagery tying together Undercover's FW15 collection and there are a selection of classic coats featuring this illustrative embellishment. Anyone familiar with either version of the film Nosferatu, can surely draw a parallel between the hand’s rendering and those belonging to the film’s title character. By virtue of the graphic’s unique placement, it makes for an eccentric but still understated element. The external windowed pocket, fleece-like fabric and magnetized closure round out the modern details on this stylish long coat. 

—Available from Revive

Undercover 03816 T-Shirt

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—01. 100% cotton.

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Undercover’s Television pieces for Spring-Summer '15 created quite a stir when the collection was first shown last year, causing plenty of people to raise all kinds of grievances. Most seemed to call-out the large graphic treatments and liberal use of photos from their two album covers. I myself am a huge fan of Tom Verlaine and his fellow band members and feel they are far and away the strongest group associated with the late '70s NYC punk venue CBGB. For me, this T-shirt, while very pricey, uses all the right Marquee Moon references, making it just about the best one you can find for a band with an absolutely sterling output.

—Available from Union

Supreme x Undercover Spring-Summer '15 Editorial

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—01. Jason Dill.

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The latest issue of Japanese magazine Sense includes an exclusive look at the forthcoming Supreme x Undercover collaboration. Featuring a fairly extensive array of products, the trench, T-shirts and leather jackets are standout items, but the full collection has yet to be revealed.

—Supreme
—Images via Hypebeast

Undercover Spring-Summer '15 at Haven

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—01. O3811 T-Shirt.
—02. O4H02-3 Cap.

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New pieces from Undercover have started to appear at the few retailers outside of Japan that carry the collection. Elements of luxury are combined with a distinct graphic language to create the high-end punk aesthetic which Jun Takahashi is known for. Haven now have a handful of Spring-Summer '15 items, including T-shirts, hats and some outerwear.

—Haven

Undercover N6B02 Tote Bag

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—01. Satin finished nylon.

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Jun Takahashi’s Undercover label steadily produces some highly technical but still incredibly straightforward and usable designs for daily life. This collaboration with Porter Yoshida & Co. is one of the most attractive and functional tote bags I have come across. The military inspiration looks particularly nice, while the three exterior cargo pockets make frequently used items that much easier to get to.

—Available from Haven

Undercover N4903-1 Sweater

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—01. 100% wool.

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Featuring a boatneck collar, salt and pepper flecked wool and unfinished edges, this casual fall sweater takes reference from the Nineties rock aesthetic that Jun Takahashi is often inspired by. The somewhat sloppy fit suits the style and makes for an appealing and easy to wear garment.

—Available at Haven