Streets Won’t Forget Undercover SS19 — ‘The New Warriors’

Following Undercover’s interpretation of 2001: A Space Odyssey in their Fall/Winter 2018 show “Order/Disorder,” comes Undercover’s second menswear runway show, “The New Warriors.” This season was an interpretation of the 1979 film The Warriors, which depicts eight New York City gangs fighting for control of the city. Takahashi follows this idea by creating eight gangs of his own, each with their own separate backstory, imagery, and character.

The Eight Gangs:

Gang One: The Dead Hermits

The Dead Hermits, God of the Underworld: The Dead Hermits are a secret, hermit-like group that lives in opposition to society. Takahashi claims that they serve as the main gang in this collection, but truthfully, they seem to be the least developed gang in terms of backstory, concept, and overall direction. Their uniform consists of a beige color palette, large, golden bracelets, and jackets and vests displaying the group’s identity: A skull inside of a red triangle. The garments are decent but ultimately forgettable because the seven looks that follow are breathtaking.

Gang Two: The Vlads

The Vlads: The Vlads are a group named after Vlad III (aka Vlad the Impaler, the medieval prince who inspired Bram Stoker’s Dracula). The gang’s members are all pale, gangly men, dressed in black, knee-length coats, black gloves, and black leather pants, with makeup that reinforces the half-dead, half-alive immortality of vampires. Not only do the Vlads walk to Bauhaus’s “Bela Lugosi’s Dead,” their graphics were also created by Bauhaus’s David J. This gang is one of the most precise collections Takahashi has done; Bauhaus are the inventors of vampire punk, the defining characteristic of this group. Even the specific Bauhaus song chosen fits perfectly; Bela Lugosi is the actor who played Count Dracula in the 1931 Dracula adaptation. So Bela Lugosi may be dead, but his descendants — the Vlads — are alive and well, or about as well as a group of young men who desperately look like they need blood can possibly be. But you get the picture. 

Gang Three: Bootleg Truth

Bootleg Truth: Bootleg Truth is a gang that’s a mixture of Asian and Western influences, as evidenced by the gang’s use of kilts and traditional Scottish highland music. The design here seems to take a backseat to the idea of bootleg truth as a concept. The name “bootleg truth” implies a version of truth that’s provided outside of the establishment, which fits in well with the concept of underground gangs battling for control of a city. And as a distributor of “truth,” there’s no one more establishment than The New York Times, who the gang takes a not-so-subtle jab at through its nearly identical font. 

Gang Four: Bloody Geekers

Bloody Geekers: Despite a name suggesting tweaking, the Bloody Geekers are all about nerd style. Unlike the other gangs, the Bloody Geekers aren’t particularly radical; that said, they do have a bit of incel energy to them, and with a background song that sings, “I know you think I’m a sociopath,” this gang is a bit off. Takahashi describes their style by saying,  “First, make the style of ordinary people. Then I think about what I can put into it to bring out a sense of geekiness.” A sweater isn’t inherently geeky, but when you put anime characters on it and wear it over a button down that’s buttoned all the way to the top, you start approaching geekiness. They look relatively normal, but there’s something that appears off about the group, even if there’s nothing about camo jackets and loose fitting trousers that scream anonymous internet hate crime. None of these garments are particularly ostentatious — no kilts, no bright nylon ponchos, no motocross gear — which brings a sense of balance to this collection. 

Above: Gang Five: Zenmondoo

Below: The Style of Eye Yamutsuko, Inspiration for the Zenmondoo

Zenmondoo: This gang channels the personal style and energy of Eye Yamatsuka, the frontman of bands such as Hanartash and the Boredoms. The look of this band can best be explained by the fact that Eye Yamatsuka once brought a backhoe on stage after destroying the back part of the venue — quite literally the definition of “open this pit up.” Yamatsuka’s style of punk and noise is a perfect match for Undercover; the brand’s motto is “We make noise, not clothes.” Takahashi also cited the German noise band Einstürzende Neubauten as an influence on the typography, which despite being an absolute bitch to spell out, further brings out the primacy and chaos Zenmondoo aim to create. Zenmondoo also debuts Undercover’s Nike daybreak collaboration, which is one of the best Nike collabs in recent memory. 

Gang Six: X Shadow Hoppers

X Shadow Hoppers: This gang is based on subway fare hoppers, except they travel by shadows rather than rail. Stylistically, this is one of the season’s strongest gangs. The pants are to die for — they’re slim fit, cropped, and create the perfect pant shoe interface when worn with a pair of Dr. Martens. The coat is long, sitting slightly above the knee, and with ample buckles and pockets that bring a sense of nuance and intrigue to the garment without muddling the design. The rucksack, sleeping mat, cape, kerchief, train conductor’s cap, and clipped water bottle all add layers to the idea and show the group's nomadic lifestyle.  

Gang Seven: Larms

The Larms: The Larms are a telepathic, psychic gang that are also vegetarian. The relationship between their telepathy and their bright colored synthetic garments is perfect. The purple, yellow, and white jackets scream psychedelia without the tackiness of tie dye, and the sheen finish and bizarre graphics bring out the edge that comes with mind-reading. Despite having some form of moral high ground for their vegetarianism, this gang looks the most like they could fuck you up without breaking a sweat with their chains and iron pipes. 

Gang Eight: Zoruge

Zoruge: The Zoruge represent some sort of cosmopolitan global elite, drawing influence from the fashion capitals of New York, Tokyo, and Paris. Each model draws a style from each culture and then mixes them all together in a format that’s more salad-bowl than melting-pot. The beret and kerchief scream Paris, the cardigan feels very Americana Tokyo, and the cropped trousers remind me of New York. You can sense Takahashi’s criticism of this global elite through the graphics on the oversized t-shirts — a fictitious monster attacking the Eiffel Tower, another ravaging lower Manhattan, and a third attacking Tokyo. 

My only wish with this collection is that there was more of a relationship among the gangs, exploring potential conflicts due to their differences in world view and status. I imagine the Zoruge and Bootleg Truth would be at odds with each other, or the Dead Hermits and Bloody Geekers might strike some sort of hermit alliance.

It’s easy to forget that this is only Undercover’s second menswear show. In the Behind THE NEW WARRIORS documentary, Takahashi pulled off the most ridiculous humble flex by saying,“Until recently, I didn’t really put much emphasis on men’s design. That was an area where I felt I lacked a bit of skill.” This is such a beautiful, original collection that reminds you that Undercover very rarely misses.