This Saturday sees the launch of the much-anticipated third instalment of the Nike x Undercover Gyakusou collection, and in anticipation of the release we have an exclusive interview with one of the driving forces behind the collection, Nike’s Fraser Cooke.
Now living in Japan, heading up Nike global and arranging some of the most innovative projects around, Fraser Cooke is one of streetwear’s most respected names, and is somebody who has been hugely influential since the emergence of the movement in the late 80s. Credited with bringing brands such as Stussy and Supreme to the UK, Cooke’s love of street fashion owes a great deal to music and DJing, through which he met a number of key figures such as Michael Koppelman – with whom he opened London’s Hideout store – James Jebbia and U.N.K.L.E.’s James Lavelle.
We spoke to Fraser earlier in the year to get an insight into the upcoming Nike x Undercover collection, to find out what influenced the range and to hear what it was like working with iconic designer – and Cooke’s close friend – Jun Takahashi…
First of all, what would you say is the vision behind the range?
The vision behind the range is Jun himself, he is a really avid runner – he did the Honolulu marathon at the end of last year, in a really good time – he just wanted to create a really stylish, performance running line with himself and his friends in mind. He knows there are people who want to look stylish in all aspects of their life but perhaps traditional running wear, although functional, doesn’t always have that certain style.
Jun likes working with Nike, he knows we’re right at the forefront of running and that we understand his unique insight into how the stuff should look aesthetically.
Functionally, Nike already had a lot of the bases covered, what did Jun bring to the project in terms of new ideas?
Functionally, Jun added some interesting detail. In the first season he used a sweat fabric on the cuff of the arm so you could wipe off sweat, that wassn’t something we’d done before, although it was quite a simple idea. Another thing was key pockets; you can separate out your keys and coins because when you go running you will have some stuff with you. So this was where he was drawing from his own experiences, bringing ideas that weren’t included in our product at the time. Our running team wouldn’t normally look at things from that perspective. This shows it’s definitely a true collaboration
Jun is quite a distinctive designer, very different. For example, the Undercover store in Japan is very different from any other, more of a conceptual space than a retail space. How did that transpose onto the collection?
He’s an artist, I knew he’d gotten into running, and he was getting really into it, so I asked Jun, how do you feel about doing something for Nike? He actually said to me ‘As long as it’s not fashion, I’m up for it, because I already do that.’ That was the conversation and that’s how it started.
After the success of the first collection last year, how do you feel the collection has evolved?
As Jun is becoming such an accomplished runner, he’s actually starting to dispense with any surplus, unneeded design, so it’s becoming more about pure performance, as opposed to ‘style’, even though there are some style points [in the collection].
With the strong emphasis on the functional aspects of its design, what differentiates this collection from other running-specific apparel in the market place?
Well I can only really talk about Nike, but I don’t really see another brand doing running focussed style gear.
I think it’s basically about how the collection differentiates from Nike running. Nike running would never come up with this colour pallet, there are certain ways the collection is constructed that is more complicated than they might want to think about in terms of pure design.
Nike running by and large, at the highest end, are going to make stuff for the Olympics or athletes at a certain price point. There’s some stuff we would never think to do [for the mass market], because an average runner wants to buy an affordable piece that functions, whereas this [Undercover GYAKUSOU collection] is almost custom car type stuff.
Did you work on the project personally, as you have done with past projects such as Boneyards, and if you did, what was it like working with Jun Takahashi?
My role within the GYAKSOU collection doesn’t have anything to do with the creative, that’s what Jun does, with the running team. I work for [Nike] global, I try to take it international. This is a design for Japan first, in Japan, to be exported, my role is that I understand where it should be sold, how to market it, how to PR it. I’m one of the critics, making sure it can work all over the world, sort of like an air traffic controller, the middle man, close to Nike global but also close to Jun.
Boneyards, or something like that is not as complex in design, it’s a much smaller group of people, a very simple collaboration. Jun’s an old friend; but we’re trying to do something more design orientated here. We also worked hard making sure communication was good as well.
What are your favourite aspects of the collection?
What do I like about the collection? I like the fact that it looks really nice, I love the colours and the construction, even though it has a true functional purpose. Being a long term observer of Undercover I do feel it does reflect that, I can see that DNA in what Jun’s doing, he’s such a creative designer; his designs always have some weird twist, or story. Even if it isn’t obvious on the surface, you can uncover it by talking to him and I can see that within this collection.
Will the product continue, and if so, what is in the pipeline and in what areas would you like to see the range develop?
We plan to continue with the collection, but I don’t know what next season is going to be about. It will just continue to be about running, how Jun expresses that will change depending on him. The ethos, the vision, is the same, it hasn’t changed at all – we just want to carry on.
People will say ‘Why are you making these?’ If he did stuff that we didn’t think relevant or appropriate, we’d let each other know, so we keep each other on track.
Everyone at End would like to thank Fraser for letting us talk to him, and for offering us a unique insight into the Nike x Undercover collection which launches at 00.01BST on Saturday October 22nd.
