This year marks the 35th anniversary of Undercover, the Tokyo-based brand you started when you were 21. You have transformed streetwear with evocatively layered references, from punk and music to film and couture. Has your design process changed since you started?

For the past 35 years, I have continued to create with almost no change, always centering on the things that interest me.

What does the name Undercover mean to you?

The name was chosen from the idea of wanting the brand to have a secretive, mysterious atmosphere.

As a student in the late ’80s, you were the vocalist in a tribute band called the Tokyo Sex Pistols. What drew you to punk?

Music and visuals that break preconceived notions, and a contrarian attitude of looking at things from a slanted angle.

You blurred the line

See Full Page