For the last four years, Nike and Jun Takahashi have put their heads together in creative collaboration. Takahashi, the man behind the cult label Undercover, is known for his rule-breaking, experimental designs. Starting his career with Undercover by selling ripped, shredded, and patched leather jackets and T-shirts, Takahashi stole the attention of runways with his lack of clarity and twisted design – and yet, behind it all resided a conceptual framework.
Takahashi is a runner. He runs 12 to 13km every day, claiming the activity is a fusion of rush and meditation – which naturally endeared him to working with Nike. Both Nike and Takahashi share the same fixation with improving athletes’ performance while keeping a keen eye on design innovation. The name ‘Gyakusou’ is taken from the name of a group of Tokyo city runners. The word ‘gyaku’ means ‘wrong’ or ‘reverse’ and ‘sou’ means ‘running’.
Working together with Nike, Takahashi’s thirst for innovation lights his creative fire, with practicality and functionality as the essence of his rare taste. Example: what if you could run wearing only a single bottom layer instead of layering shorts over tights? But the notion of eliminating pockets did not satisfy Takahashi – where, then, would the runner stash his keys and small change? With that thought, he invented the Men’s Utility Long Tights, a breakthrough in running apparel that would determine the look of running garb in the future. It’s a combination of running shorts and tights that leaves the bulky look behind without sacrificing comfort and function. The top is a loosened fit with pockets, while underneath is the full-length tights, providing warmth and flexibility for running.
Other combined apparel includes the men’s and women’s Engineered Sleeve Composite Jacket, a mixture of materials to fulfill a runner’s needs. It is constructed out of composite storm-FIT that protects from rough weather. Another touch of Takahashi’s fine taste is in the sleeves and neckline – equipped with engineered knit that allows the arms to move freely. Setting functionality as the top priority, this groundbreaking jacket also has a cooling system to expel body heat.
The jacket also seems to work well with men’s and women’s Dri-FIT Sweat Map Long-Sleeve Tops and Dri-FIT Sweat Map Short-Sleeve Tops. Both performance shirts are technologically designed to allow air flow to lower body temperature.
Deconstructing and recomposing seems to be Takahashi’s signature: not always clear and sometimes twisted, as the world of Takahashi is all about enigma.
