Toyota and cult Japanese fashion label UNDERCOVER, cemented their creative partnership in Paris this week with the launch of the reimagined Aygo X city car.
Making its debut in conjunction with the UNDERCOVER Fall 2023 catwalk show at Paris Fashion Week, the updated version of the stylish vehicle serves as a vessel to showcase the best of both brands, with its new, modernised design channelling the subversive spirit of UNDERCOVER’s head designer Jun Takahashi, whilst still staying / remaining true to the fun, youthful characteristics of the original.
Revised exterior and interior designed inspired by Takahashi’s creative philosophies of non-conformity and breaking stereotypes, include a bi-tone grey body colour specially developed by Toyota and coral red accents around the cabin and on the black 18-inch alloy wheels. The UNDERCOVER influence is also witnessed in the branded seats, monogram-patterned floor-mats and Takahashi’s CHAOS/BALANCE catchwords depicted in roof decals.
Speaking exclusively to LDNFASHION at the Sofitel Paris Le Faubourg hotel in Paris ahead of the Aygo X UNDERCOVER’s launch party, Tadao Mori, Toyota Motor Europe’s Head of Styling Design, said of the cutting-edge collaboration: “This really is two different worlds coming together to create something very special – we are thrilled with the outcome.”
“We wanted to give Jun all of the creative freedom he needed so as not to limit his vision. His ideas were so surprising, and so left-field, that it almost felt like we were starting again from scratch, with the original Aygo model becoming something of a blank canvas for us to grow his designs around. And that’s what’s been so exciting about this collaboration – it’s pushed us as brand to do things we’ve never done before.”
“Our engineering team are incredible, and forever tell us to dream big, so that’s what we did, and they’ve worked tirelessly to make both our dreams and Jun’s (dreams) a reality.”
In a press release, Takahashi commented: “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. 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. 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.”
The on-the-road price for the Aygo X UNDERCOVER is £20,095 with manual transmissions. Just 5,000 examples of the model will be released, each featuring unique interior and exterior design details.
