Paris menswear: Undercover’s fictional tribes

Fictional tribes at Undercover this season, where Jun Takahashi reminded his audience there are few more inventive designers working in menswear today.

Nomadic, bedraggled even, his cast strolled out in scrunched up linen suits, the pants cut half-way up the calf, the sleeves elongated. Gradually becoming bleached out; and overdyed with images of Renaissance palazzos or medieval forts.
 
While treated cotton cabans and peacoats came in abstract expressionist daubs of muddy green, sunset red and eggshell blue. Paired with tapered pants and leggings made with zips attached across the leg front, left open to expose the knees. 

“I was imaging fictional tribes, from Africa to Asia,” explained Undercover’s founder Takahashi, dressed in a felt hat with multiple pins attached.
 
For the finale his creatures were almost prehistoric, the work of Takahasi’s revved up sub-conscious.
 
Many of his cast wearing safari hats too, or veils wrapped around their eyes, in a soft sado-masochistic statement. 
 
“Effortless, lightness and comfort-fullness. I wanted to integrate some forms of women’s taste,” explained Jun through his translator. Takahasi clearly understands English pretty well but likes to respond in Japanese.
 
All the action backed by a great video of rock trio Glass Bead, whose sounds blend African percussion and Middle Eastern rhythm. The trio wearing metallic silk and sequined looks in a huge screen that formed the backdrop to this show in an art center in the 5th arrondissement. The clothes mirrored in the show’s final look.
 
Asked about how he discovered the band, Jun deadpanned and cackled: “I found Glass Bead on YouTube!”