japan

Brand name

UNDERCOVER

 

Designer

Jun TAKAHASHI (born September 21, 1969 in Kiryu, Gunma JAPAN)

Takahashi began “UNDERCOVER” with Hironori ICHINOSE who was the present designer of VANDALIZE while at is Bunka-Fashion school that is Japanese famous special school of fashion, apparel design department in 1989. He formed “Tokyo Sex Pistols” that was the copy band of Sex Pistols with Hikaru IWANAGA of Bounty Hunter and Tomoaki “NIGO” Nagao of “A Bathing APE” while attending school and Takahashi was taking charge of vocal. Takahashi came to be called “JUNIO” from looking like Johnny Rotten that was the lead vocal of Sex Pistols. Moreover, it is occasionally said by that Takahashi looks like Vivienne Westwood.

He begins to sell the dress wholesale to Billy in the Shibuya Quattro at the same time as graduating in 1991.

He opened select shop “NOWHERE” in Takeshita Street that the focal point of Harajuku’s teenage culture with NIGO of A Bathing APE in 1993.

In 1994, he established “UNDERCOVER Ltd.”, and he started “A.F.F.A” that is fashion brand with Hiroshi FUJIWARA who is Japanese famous DJ. “A.F.F.A” is abbreviation of “Anarchy Forever Forever Anarchy”, and T-shirt of the print by hand became popular.

In 1995, he opened “NOWHERE LTD” that handles only “UNDERCOVER”, and started both ladies’ and men’s lines in full scale.

He opened present flagship shop in Minami-Aoyama, Tokyo in March, 2002.

He began to participate in the Tokyo collection in 1994-1995A/W season, and Paris Collection in 2003S/S season. He participate Paris collection every year after 2003S/S season.

He won rookie of the year award in 1997 and the grand prize in 2001 the Mainichi fashion award that a famous newspaper in Japan sponsored.

Takahashi has received the influence of Vivienne Westwood and Rei Kawakubo who is the designer and sole owner of Comme des Garcons is a fashion label.

 

About Brand

Undercover is a fashion brand established by designer Jun TAKAHASHI and Hironori ICHINOSE who was the present designer of VANDALIZE in 1989.

The reason why the UNDERCOVER obtains the overwhelming popularity in the young person in Japan is high-quality, exact, variegated detail that takes various materials and the designs according to the theme that Takahashi decided. Moreover, because the produced amounts are little, the commodity is hard-to- find and it has formed a line before the shop is opened.

Takahashi has been greatly influenced from Sex Pistols and Vivienne Westwood and “Seditionaries” that handles Sex Pistols fashion as understood from the band activity in he’s school days. Therefore the design of UNDERCOVER is glimpse into thought of Punk music, but it is not a design of a so-called punk fashion.

The brand name of the ladies line is “UNDERCOVER”, and men’s line is “UNDERCOVERISM”.

“UNDERCOVER” has been chosen to be No.1 of the brand that girls want the boyfriend to put it on because not only a men’s line but also the ladies line is high popularity.

Takahashi thinks, “It is only myself that knows a real street” and “UNDERCOVER is designed in the middle of the street and the mode”.

 

Comment

It may be no exaggeration to say that UNDERCOVER forms the street fashion in JAPAN.

The fashion of Harajuku, Tokyo of today did not exist, and a lot of shops might not have been concentrated in Harajuku as today even if “NOWHERE” doesn’t exist. UNDERCOVER is one of the brands that become keys in talking about the fashion of Japan.

And, when forgetting another existence of NIGO who is the designer and sole owner of “A Bathing APE” Two people (Takahashi and NIGO) are kingpin in shop “NOWHERE” though it might be off-the-beaten- path. At that time, clothes of two people were sold in the same shop of course.

Takahashi chose to dash out from Tokyo and challenge to Paris collection, and other NIGO chose the street scene in the world as the place of the challenge.

At that time, “NOWHERE” was in the back street that came off from the Main Street in Harajuku.

“NOWHERE” became the sending source of the fashion that but though conditions of location was bad, customers waited in line before the stores opened. Someday, the back street in Harajuku in which the “NOWHERE” was located came to be called “URA-Harajuku”(URA is a meaning of back street), and a lot of street brand shop retailers in which it had centered on “NOWHERE” were built.

I think that I was interested in the fashion in this age and got in line before the stores opened, I want to write many or more of “UNDERCOVER”, and I can write the article again.

In The feature of UNDERCOVER is the centered commodity is Riders jacket and denim, and to become a clothes making that sticks to the life that Takahashi who is the designer wants to put on. However, it might be still ladies’ that want to pay attention UNDERCOVER. The feature of ladies’ is a poison put in a beautiful handle after all. They pursue in beauty of the style of UNDERCOVER by put the patterns such as spider and skull in the floral print, similar to the thorn in the rose. The theme of 2008S/S season collection is “Frenzy in summer”.

Rough price range, about US150 dollars for T-shirt, from about US600 dollars to US750 dollars for pants, and from about US1,000 dollars to US1,500 dollars for jacket in ladies’. About US150 dollars for T-shirt, about US500 dollars for pants, and from about US800 dollars to US1,300 dollars for jacket in men’s Especially men’s T-shirt is in one of the article in great demands because it graphics has been well-established .

 

Shop Information

UNDERCOVER Tokyo

 

Blue Thank Point 5-3-18 Minami-Aoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo.

Brand name

NUMBER (N)INE

 

Designer

Designer of NUMBER(N)INE is Takahiro MIYASHITA(born 1973 in Tokyo).

Miyashita doesn’t commute to the dressmaking school, and study buying and the dress by self-study while he does the work of project and press by “Nepenthes (NEPENTHES)” that is the select shop.

In 1996 he established KOOKS Ltd, and announced NUMBER(N)INE that is the brand that theme is “suitable for Tokyo”.

The flagship shop opened Omotesando, Tokyo in 1997, and moves by several places afterwards, and now exists in the residential area in Ebisu, Tokyo. NUMBER(N)INE enters not only men’s wear but also the ladies’ wear in full scale in 1998. In other countries, the shop was opened in New York in 2003.

He participates Tokyo collection from 2000-2001A/W season, and Paris Men’s Collection in 2004-2005A/W season.

After ending the 2002-2003A/W season, he was absent from the collection because he upset he’s health. After the one year rest, he returned collection in 2003S/S-A/W season.

During 2007, three new line “n(n)” that the basic line that centers on denim cut and sewn, “Classic” that the line that centers on a tailored jacket and the setup suit, and “9” that ladies line that brand concept is “fuse together girlish and womanhoods”is started. At “9”, Miyashita is not designer but director and supervisor. (Designer of “9” is Yumi SUZUKI)

Miyashita is taking charge of the vocal of the rock band “The High Streets” as well as designer.

 

About Brand

Number(N)INE is a brand with strong street color at the time of debuted, but now the the Number(N)INE style of rock taste is pushed out forward, consistently. Clothes to which designer’s favorite music is pushed out forward as understood from the naming of the origin of the brand name from “Revolution nine (Revolution #9)” that is the number of Beatles. (By the way, KOOKS that is the company name origins in “Kooks” that is number of David Bowie).

 

Past theme of collection

2000-2001 A/W：REDISUN

2001 S/S：TIME MIGRATION

2001-2002 A/W：STANDARD

2002 S/S：MODERN AGE

2002-2003 A/W：NOWHERE MAN

2003-2004 S/S-A/W：TOUCH ME I’M SICK～A NEW MORNING

2004 S/S：DREAM BABY DREAM

2004-2005 A/W：GIVE PEACE A CHANCE

2005 S/S：NIGHT CRAWLER

2005-2006 A/W：THE HIGH STREETS

2006 S/S：WELCOME TO THE SHADOW

2006-2007 A/W：NOIR

2007 S/S：ABOUT A BOY

2007-2008 A/W：LOVE GOD MURDER

2008 S/S：BIRDS

2008-2009 A/W：MY OWN PRIVATE PORTLAND

 

Comment

When a question comes in what is Japanese most favorite fashion brand? a great number of people will be answered “NUMBER(N)INE !”, because Tsuyoshi NOGUCHI who is Japanese famous stylist serves as the styling of the collection, and a lot of models and actor wear NUMBER(N)INE clothes with the magazine.

It might be appearance of confidence to their clothes and brand to put the flagship shop on the Suburbs in Ebisu to which the person doesn’t come so much.

Many of denims shirt and the jacket, etc are tight, on the other hand, kits is oversize and loose fitting.

Rough price range, from about US100 dollars to US150 dollars for T-shirt, from about US250 dollars to US300 dollars for denim, and from about US750 dollars to US1,000 dollars for jacket.

As for the color, a lot of blacks and monotone are felt.

It is enshrouded to the mystery so that Miyashita who is the designer may dislike going out to media the many. Moreover, delicate sheath, sadness, and the fragility mind is reflected in clothes.

However, the mistake is not found in the thing that NUMBER(N)INE is one of the brands that represent not only Tokyo but also Japan.

 

Shop Information

Number(N)INE NewYork

OPEN (11:30AM - 7:00PM) TUE Closed

431 WASHINGTON ST. NEWYORK NY

NUMBER(N)INE Tokyo

2-16-6 Ebisu Shibuya-ku Tokyo 

Official Web Site

http://www.numberniners.com/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_UTtcq2_yQ

 

 

Brand name

soe

 

Designer

Soichiro Ito (born 1977 in Tokyo).

Soichiro Ito studied in London after he graduated of the high school. In 1998. after retuning JAPAN, he entered Aoyama Gakuin University, Japanese Christian University in Shibuya, Tokyo. He studied closing by self-study at the same time as studying economics at the university.

In 2001 A/W, he started “Soe”, Men’s wear brand and he opened first flagship shop in Nakameguro, Tokyo in September, 2005.

He debuted Tokyo Collection in 2004A/W and Paris Men’s Collection in 2008S/S.

 

About the brand

“Soe” is a Men’s wear brand, started at 2001A/W season. Flagship shop was opened in Nakameguro, the area in which person with high culture degree gathers, in September, 2005.

The shop is redecorating of an old, wide solitary house, and the second floor is used as an atelier.

The interior of the shop is based on white, because he thinks that a lot of elements are unnecessary for the shop, shop is a only space to show beautiful the closes.

The shop moved to Meguro-ku Aobadai, Tokyo in 2008.

New line that develops only shirt called “soe shirts” is started from 2008S/S.First of all, initial sales began in an overseas select shop that a central focus on Europe.

He is aiming to make the shirt that becomes one of the indispensable wardrobes of the man. 

Comment

The brand concept of soe is ” originality” and the  “Real close ” between street fashion and mode fashion. The refined image is strong, a lot of color monotone like the black, white, and the gray, etc. Tailored is a base,but it plays by the detail. The jacket is about 700 dollars. The shirt is about 250 dollar.

 

Shop Information

soe tokyo

3-18-10 Aobadai Meguro-ku Tokyo

Official site

http://www.soe-tokyo.com/