Undercover x Evangelion

Anime translated onto fashion is not a fringe intersection (see Supreme x Akira, Loewe x My Neighbour Totoro, Loewe x Spirited Away, etc.) nor has it historically been much more than printed graphics without much regard for pushing the philosophy of design. Not since Jun Takahashi’s Undercover 2021 A/W collection “CREEP VERY” does any other fashion and anime collection seem to hold water. With the men’s looks in the co-ed collection centred around the Japanese mecha anime series Neon Genesis Evangelion, muted scenes from the anime were projected onto the walls and the bass of a slowed, distorted, unsettling rendition of “Sakura Nagashi” (the theme song of the film Evangelion 3.0) reverberated throughout the runway.

Evangelion came to be after director Hideaki Anno suffered through a four-year depression and spent some time indulging in Kierkegaard, evidenced by the recurring religious and existential elements expressed through the characters’ experiences and emotions. More than just intense mecha battles supported by Shirō Sagisu’s atmospheric, ominous orchestral score, also explored are the developmental complexities of the teenage protagonist, Shinji Ikari, and his conflicts in the face of physical and metaphysical crises.

Designed with the intent of communicating “the complicated emotional state of society in a physical form,” Takahashi felt a resonance with the story of having hope in a time of despair: “The theme is of a person who is frail and weak but has a truly pure heart.” Given the ideas of distress and growth, the dilemmas that Evangelion proposes are conceivably much like our own.

The pieces, all of which are laden with Evangelion motifs, range from alpaca/wool sweaters and puffer jackets colour-coordinated with the EVAs (humanoid robots) to Takahashi’s rendition of the pilot plug suits and helmeted coats, spanning the spectrum of wearability. Of note are the wool coats with luminescent-painted graphics of various Evangelion angels (enemies) across the front and cascading down the back of the garment, eliciting an air of slight creepiness, particularly the nearly floor-length wool cape poncho. Scarves flowed out of slits cut in the coats, a stylistic draping choice he has done before, and one that transforms the silhouette of the entire look.

This collection is an exhibition of the delicate balance required when bridging commerciality with garments focused on technical design, and in this case, a work that represents the nuances of the human emotions.

Sources:
Undercover 2021 A/W collection “CREEP VERY”
“Jun Takashi on his F/W 21 Tokyo Show” (StyleZeitgeist)
“Undercover Brought a Legendary Anime to the Runway” (GQ)
Undercover Fall 2021 Ready-to-Wear Coverage (Vogue)
“REVIEW: UNDERCOVER Neon Genesis Evangelion FW 21/22 ‘Creep Very’ Runway” (YouTube)
“Undercover x EVANGELION: The BEST Anime Fashion Collab Ever!?” (YouTube)