Jun Takahashi brings UNDERCOVER’s distinct design sensibility to sportswear staples. Pictures via Nike and Undercover’s website.
Source: Nike x UNDERCOVER Track Suit, T-Shirt and Longsleeve
From 2004 to 2015 I wore either Sho-Shot or ARCH footwear. I made my own brand. In order for people to believe in what I was trying to do I felt I didn’t have a choice. If I was going to try to get you to wear something you’d never heard of, I needed to represent it without fail. That means the countless shoes I sold, I didn’t wear. All of those years that people built up huge collections and became integrated into the sneaker community, I wore my own designs.
In my mind that’s what authenticity is about. It’s like being in a gang, once I choose your brand to rep, that’s it. I don’t wear any other brand and you won’t catch me wearing any other brand, unless I have to wear a suit. I do not expect this out of the everyday consumer. I DO expect it out of a person paid to endorse a brand.
I’ve gone on countless rants about the fact that every performer and influencer signed to a brand is only a step away from not being loyal and in the long run when people see what a person wears when they aren’t being paid, that brand becomes more important than the brand dropping dollars. Consider these posts:
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In both of the posts above the entertainers represented another brand, but both ended up wearing Nike when they were on stage or not representing the brand. This wasn’t just the case with celebrities. It happened with YouTube influencers as well who were deeply entwined with the sneaker culture. Saucony brought on ten influencers. As the promo ended the influencers moved immediately back to talking about Nike and doing Nike things, free of charge. What was even worse is that the time invested didn’t lead to sell through of other Saucony items:
While I can’t be sure if it’s happened with designers, I don’t follow fashion as much, when I catch an infraction I bring attention to it because it matters. Jun Takahashi has been a long time collaborator with Nike under the Undercover banner. The Gyaksou line has been running for ten years. Why is this important? It would seem that Jun and Nike are exclusive. I do realize that designers often create in a variety of mediums and with a variety of brands, but when organic video is shot of a designer working in his element and another brand is being worn… Am I overthinking this?
In Takahashi’s latest video for his Spring/Summer 2019 Collection, titled Behind the New Warriors we get to follow the designer around as he begins to create the collection. His work with Nike is for fitness. I don’t expect the designer to only wear Nike, but with an impending collection drop with Nike and a link from Nike to the Undercover website, it seems a bit off for Nike to drive engagement with the designer as he wears one of the brands that has taken a bit of marketshare from the Swoosh in the past year.
You can clearly see that Jun is rocking Vans. This has to be a boon for Vans, as they could share a video if they were on their job, touting that Vans appears on designers by choice, not by pay. It would be an authentic jab at the sneaker giant that would resonate in a much deeper way than even Takahashi’s upcoming Nike x Undercover capsule.
I made a similar statement about K-Swiss and their paying of Gary Vee to wear their products when anyone following Gary Vee knows that the dude is a diehard Nike head. The connection was not authentic and would only provide an increase in Gary’s profile as a hustler:
Is It Okay For Gary Vee to Rock the Nike Air Max 1 Parra When He Has His Own K-Swiss?
Ultimately, I know how hard it is to only wear one brand. I know the looks and laughter of wearing your own brand around kids. Thank goodness the “What are those?” memes weren’t around as I tried to build my brand, lol. Are people who collaborate with brands required to be loyal? Is Jun’s organic choice for fashion more authentic? Is this a problem? As always leave your thoughts and comments. I’m interested in hearing what you have to add.