In many ways 2018 served as a year of reinvention for Jun Takahashi. This year, the Japanese designer announced that he would end women’s collection shows, moving into men’s presentations at Paris Fashion Week only. Jun’s shift in focus was put on display when he presented UNDERCOVER’s all-embracing Spring/Summer 2019 “The New Warriors,” which is comprised of eight distinctive mini collections. No stranger to team ups, Jun brought his label to new heights with collaborations with Verdy, TAKAHIROMIYASHITA The Soloist., Kendrick Lamar, Converse, along with continuing his GYAKUSUO NikeLab division. But it was UNDERCOVER’s take on Nike’s React Element 87 that really stood out, single-handedly spawning the hype surrounding a previously unknown running model. After bringing his MADSTORE retail experience stateside to HYPEFEST to round up the year, Jun is gearing up for a highly anticipated UNDERCOVER x Nike Waffle Racer collab, expanding his reach with his new creative agency UNDERCOVER PRODUCTION and shining a new light on his label’s menswear line.