Toyota collaborates with UNDERCOVER designer Jun Takahashi on a limited-edition Aygo X.

“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. 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. I drive my own car every day and recognise the significance colour can have.” says Takahashi. 

What are the main differences between designing clothes and a car? How have you been able to transfer your design ethos into a new field? The process was a difficult one, as materials and colours differ completely from clothing collaborations, but I believe we have a design that is very much still UNDERCOVER while working in harmony with the city.

How did the collaboration come about, and what was the inspiration behind it? I’ve always been a car enthusiast and my interest grew even more when I got the request, so I decided to give it a go.

What were the key objectives and goals of the collaboration, and how did you work together to achieve them? It was a trial and error process. I had to take into account TOYOTA’s regulations and technical aspects of the colour schemes, while attempting to achieve a balance of the UNDERCOVER style that blends with the city.

How did you decide on the design direction and aesthetic for the collaboration, and what was the creative process like? Firstly we created a large number of potential designs, and then there was a lot of back-and-forth to arrive at the final proposal. Many of the colour schemes were hard for us to drop.