TOYOTA AND UNDERCOVER HEAD DESIGNER JUN TAKAHASHI COME TOGETHER FOR AN UNPRECEDENTED CROSS-INDUSTRY COLLABORATION – INTRODUCING THE AYGO X UNDERCOVER
Innovators in their respective fields, Toyota and UNDERCOVER have reimagined the Aygo X as a showcase for the best of both brands, a new icon of the subversive spirit Jun Takahashi, is known for.
Premiering in conjunction with the UNDERCOVER Fall 2023 catwalk show at Paris Fashion Week, the Aygo X UNDERCOVER features unique interior and exterior design features, in a drop of just 5,000 cars.
Inspired by Takahashi’s design philosophies of non-conformity and breaking stereotypes, design updates include an exclusive bi-tone grey body colour specially developed by Toyota, coral red accents for the black 18” alloys and interior, branded seats and monogram pattern floor-mats, and his CHAOS / BALANCE motto spelled out in roof stickers. This is anything but your usual car collaboration.
The familiar UNDERCOVER theme of overlapping contrasts – punk and couture, digital and analogue – extend into this collaboration as now the worlds of fashion and automotive collide perfectly to drive a launch campaign set in the semi-fictional world of Paris, Tokyo. A ‘hidden city’ where virtual and physical are blurred, inspired by the look and attitude of two places at the heart of the collaboration. Where Harajuku underground culture meets the contemporary savoir faire of Le Marais. Occupied by a community raised on UNDERCOVER, and full of signature Jun Takahashi Easter eggs for fans to discover.
“It was my first experience working on a car, and with Toyota being such a prestigious and innovative Japanese brand, it came with deep emotional meaning and significance,” says Takahashi. “Fusing together two contradicting elements, or worlds, is exciting for me and both the materials and how we supplied the colours differ completely from clothing collaborations. Cityscapes inspire colours that feel typically UNDERCOVER, blending in with everyday life but questioning convention if you look below the surface, and I believe we have a design that is still very much UNDERCOVER while working in harmony with the city. I drive my own car every day and recognise the significance colour can have.”
Since the Aygo first arrived in the market in 2005, not only has it been Toyota’s most accessible car in Europe, it has also delighted customers with its youthful and fun character. These qualities have attracted many new style-conscious European buyers to Toyota.
By moving from a hatchback to a crossover body type, Toyota’s stylists in Europe have created a unique sense of emotion in the new Aygo X, one that can be felt as a driver, a passenger, or even as someone just watching it pass by.
“We knew that UNDERCOVER could further expand the strong character of the Aygo X and were excited to explore how Jun’s fashion language could be translated into the car development process,” said Tadao Mori, Head of Styling Design for Toyota Europe. “Fashion design and car design share a lot in common, but Jun introduced us to completely new ways of looking at colour, and ideas for how to make more of everyday details to create something more interesting and unexpected.”
