COMME des GARÇONS, Deconstructed Fashion by Rei Kawakubo
Founded in opposition to Western aesthetic norms, the brand shakes up established notions of beauty, gender and the body.

© Christian Markel / National Gallery of Victoria
Generally associated with the image of the little red heart with black eyes, the brand COMME des GARÇONS, shortened to CDG, did not stop at this single success. It was founded in 1969 by the enigmatic Rei Kawakubo, who at the time was dissatisfied with the clothing available in stores.
Its name inspired by the yé-yé pop song by Françoise Hardy, ‘Tous les garçons et les filles’ (1962), the Japanese label, with its avant-garde, punk image, sets the tone: non-conformism.
An ode to imperfection
An almost exclusive use of black, asymmetrical cuts, deliberately torn fabrics… Marked by her childhood growing up in the post-war years, Rei Kawakubo offers pieces that defy the trends and shake up established notions of beauty, gender and the body.
‘COMME des GARÇONS is a gift to oneself, not something to appeal to or attract the opposite sex’, she revealed to Vogue in 1995. In the world of haute couture, her radical creations triggered a real earthquake by defying conventions. Due to the visible stitching and unusual fabrics used, the Japanese stylist’s first runway show in Paris in 1981 was described in the press as ‘Hiroshima chic’ because it showed that beauty does not necessarily equate to elegance. Imposing her rebellious philosophy, the designer with an architectural fringe was considered the priestess of the anti-fashion movement in the 1980s and her brand CDG became synonymous with avant-gardism.
An ever-evolving empire
From a modest studio based in Tokyo to hundreds of points of sale all over the world, Rei Kawakubo has built up a powerful empire that comprises numerous franchises (COMME des GARÇONS Parfums, COMME des GARÇONS Play, COMME des GARÇONS Tricots). ‘For me, I am not a fashion designer. I use fashion as a business’, she declared to WWD.
With a view to always offering pioneering garments and concepts, she focuses on collaborative work, surrounding herself with talented young designers like Junya Watanabe, Fumito Ganryu and Chitose Abe. She also innovates with initiatives that go beyond the strict boundaries of runway shows, like Six Magazine (1988) and the Dover Street Market concept stores (2004), driven by her husband Adrian Joffe.
After a successful career spanning over 50 years, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York paid homage to the understated businesswoman’s visionary work in an exhibition in 2017, Art of the In-Between, in which 140 unique pieces were displayed. This is the only retrospective the museum has dedicated to a living designer since that for Yves Saint Laurent, reaffirming Rei Kawakubo’s unique status on the international fashion stage.
More information can be found on COMME des GARCONS’ website.

© Christian Markel / National Gallery of Victoria

© Christian Markel / National Gallery of Victoria

© Christian Markel / National Gallery of Victoria

© Christian Markel / National Gallery of Victoria

© The Metropolitan Museum of Art

© The Metropolitan Museum of Art
TRENDING
-
‘The Sound of Water’, or How to Escape the Trap of One's Life
In this short film, director J.B. Braud depicts the process that leads a woman, Chisato, to make the decision to disappear.
-
Breath Control with Tomohide Ikeya
The series 'Breath' by the Japanese photographer invites the audience to reflect on the notion of control through an underwater ballet.
-
Nokogiri, the Hill with One Thousand Buddhas in Chiba Peninsula
Located east of Tokyo, this sacred mountain houses over 1500 statues of Buddha, connected to the Nihon-ji temple.
-
Léo Berne, Photographs and Love in Tokyo
By modestly depicting his partner during frequent trips to Japan, the photographer transcends the fineness of the ordinary.
-
The Tradition of the Black Eggs of Mount Hakone
In the volcanic valley of Owakudani, curious looking black eggs with beneficial properties are cooked in the sulphurous waters.