From this serendipitous digital encounter grew a creative relationship built on unspoken understanding. Their shared aesthetic language—where sci-fi worlds collide with gothic elegance—needs no explanation between them. “We’ve never really sat down and talked about our inspirations,” Guillon shares. “It’s more like we just get each other’s worlds and aesthetics without needing to define them.” Takahashi’s eye was immediately drawn to the brooding handmade forms that now illuminate Undercover’s offices, establishing Guillon’s signature in this amazing fashion-design crossover.

The collaboration evolved organically to the runway with Undercover’s SS24 collection, where Guillon translated his bronze expertise into intricately textured heels. The compressed timeline required Guillon to innovate in real time—a stark contrast to the deliberate pace of sculpture, yet the fusion felt effortless, as if these two creative streams had always been meant to converge. In parallel, Takahashi’s iconic Grace creatures, once fabric dolls blending Victorian aesthetics with alien forms, have recently been reimagined as bronze sculptures that echo Guillon’s metalwork sensibility. Every conversation between them about creativity and new possibilities is still incredibly rewarding according to Guillon. “After everything he’s done and seen, you’d think he might be a little jaded—but not at all! He’s always eager to experiment, to push boundaries. And that energy is contagious.”

Can you walk us through how Jun first discovered your work and the evolution from that first custom light piece to the Undercover office lighting?

The whole thing felt kind of surreal to me. I think it was during Covid, in 2020, when I got a message on Instagram from Undercover. It was Jun himself, introducing himself and saying he was interested in my work. What he doesn’t know is that at the time, I was in a really tough place—I was seriously thinking about giving up. If he hadn’t reached out, I have no idea where I’d be today.

From there, we naturally kept in touch through social media, and later, he thought of me again for custom pieces for Undercover’s Tokyo HQ. I think he connects with my work on multiple levels—not just aesthetically, but also in terms of process. The fact that each piece is unique and customizable probably resonates with him as a highly creative person.

The SS24 heels feel like a natural fusion of your sculptural work with Undercover’s vision. What was the development process like?

Honestly, it was such a smooth process! Every time I work with Jun, things just flow because he has such a clear creative vision and never compromises on it. One day, he messaged me to ask if I’d be interested in designing heels for his next show. Of course, I was beyond excited.

The only real challenge was timing—fashion moves incredibly fast, whereas the design world operates on a completely different timeline. I think we had about eight weeks to make it happen, which is a lot for fashion but almost nothing for me, ahah. I quickly sent over a few sketches, and he picked one he liked. From there, I sculpted it in wax, as I always do, and we went back and forth a few times. Jun wanted something really intricate, with a small pattern of details. I had never worked on something that tiny before, so I actually had to create a new tool just for this project. In the end, we landed on a texture that we were both really happy with.

You both share an appreciation for dark romanticism, science fiction, music, etc. How do these common references manifest in your collaborations?

We’ve never really sat down and talked about our inspirations. It’s more like we just get each other’s worlds and aesthetics without needing to define them.I never asked Jun about it, but I have a feeling he wouldn’t want to explain where his ideas come from—just like I don’t. I think we’re on the same page about that, ahah. It’s less about analyzing and more about feeling it.

Do you have a memorable moment or conversation with Jun that stands out from your collaborations?

There is one, but I’d rather keep it to myself. ;)

What I can say, though, is that every conversation with Jun about creativity and new possibilities is incredibly rewarding. He’s still so curious and full of ideas. After everything he’s done and seen, you’d think he might be a little jaded—but not at all! He’s always eager to experiment, to push boundaries. And that energy is contagious. Whenever we talk about a new project, you can feel the excitement on both sides. The creative process with him is always a pleasure.



Photography by William Guillon, Taro Mizutani for Ark Journal, Shun Komiyama for SSENSE, and Brutus.