PARIS — Longtime friends and fixtures of Japan’s streetwear scene Nigo and Jun Takahashi are set to further cement their bond of over three decades.

On Monday, Human Made Inc. said its board has approved a nonbinding letter of intent to acquire the Japanese brand Undercover, which was founded by Takahashi in 1994.

The terms of the deal, which targets all shares of Undercover Co. Ltd., were not disclosed. The Nigo-founded company said the price for the shares will be set after an independent valuation.

Under the proposed deal, the goal is for both parties to sign a share purchase agreement in September, with the effective transfer of ownership targeted for February 2027.



If completed as planned, Undercover would then come under the Human Made fold as a consolidated subsidiary “in the first quarter of the fiscal year ending January 2028,” according to the company.

According to the statement revealing the move, it is part of Human Made’s strategy to acquire and grow brands it sees as culturally influential but underdeveloped in terms of business. Over time it plans to “nurture culture sparked by human inspiration and craft, aiming to grow it into Japan’s next iconic creative industry following manga, anime and games.”

Undercover’s acquisition would also formalize one of Japanese fashion’s most influential relationships.

Nigo and Takahashi opened the Nowhere store in Tokyo’s Harajuku neighborhood in 1993, where their respective labels A Bathing Ape, with which Nigo is no longer associated, and Undercover were front and center. The address soon became an epicenter of the city’s creative milieu of the ‘90s as well as a draw for international visitors.

After the store shuttered in the early 2000s, Takahashi gained international recognition with Undercover, which shows during Paris Fashion Week. His spring 2027 collection will be revealed on June 27.



Meanwhile, Nigo continued to build his reputation as a serial fashion entrepreneur, launching streetw