Comme des Garcon: History of Rebellion
For some, the first thing that comes to mind when they hear Comme des Garçons is Rina Sawayama's 2020 single by a similar name; for other, more fashion-inclined people, what most likely comes to mind is the brand's Converse collaboration or the more well-known Comme des Garçons Play, characterized by its Iconic heart logo. It's funny thinking about how famously sought-after the CDG play brand is in the West compared to its beginnings.
Comme des Garçons was created by Rei Kawakubo, a now renowned trailblazer in the fashion industry. She was born October 11th, 1942, in Tokyo and studied fine arts and literature at Keio University. Kawakubo would go on to work in advertising at a textile company before becoming a freelance stylist, often designing her own clothing for clients. The textile manufacturer's portion of her background would be helpful to the visionary as it helped her develop the unique eye she has today for props and costumes. She would debut her brand in April 1981 alongside familiar names such as Issey Miyake and Yohji Yamamoto; the reaction to the group's collections was controversial, to say the least. People in the us went as far as to say that Kawakubo's work looked like "nuclear bag ladies." Comme des Garçons was in direct opposition to the standards of beauty and glamour set at the time. Labels like Mugler gave people beautiful tailoring to admire, and Dior set the bar for how elegance should be executed. No brands were doing what CDG was. It was unconventional; garments had exaggerated Silhouettes, clashing materials, and asymmetric cuts. Critics called it an "anti-fashion brand" because it challenged people's idea of beauty. Kawakubo's clothes weren't gendered in the way other brands were either; the use of shapes in her work allowed the clothes to be viewed without a feminine or masculine lens. This creation method helped shift the fashion world into a more conceptual direction with more leniency with what could be done with fabrics.
Popularly known as the Lumps and Bumps runway, the 1997 collection Body Meets Dress, Dress Meets Body is a perfect example of her playing with shapes. Constructing the garments so that the bodies look cartoonish and distorted, Kawakubo went directly after the public's idea of female body image. Giving models broader shoulders, larger hips, stomachs, and backs while using a plethora of gingham and padding. 1995, Kawakubo aimed to get people to think less about the person wearing the garments in her spring/summer Transcending Gender collection. The show consisted of androgynous models wearing modified and deconstructed business wear. "Spiritually, there are no more differences between men and women; what is important is being human." She said after the show.
The collection that ultimately shocked and divided the public was the 1982 Destroy Show. Using oversized distressed knitwear, tunics, and sweaters decorated with holes in them. Being described as her version of lace. This show was called "Hiroshima's Revenge" by critics who didn't understand the garments. So even if it wasn't on purpose, CDG garments were political; with almost every collection, Kawakubo subverted expectations, and as more people caught on to her and appreciated her work, the Comme des Garçons following grew. So much so that fans of the label in Japan got the nickname "the crows" because they dressed in all black. A color that the designer has said she could do an entire collection with if she could. Having yet to do so, even her more recent shows continue the trend of playing with the textiles she has. She never comes out directly to say what her inspirations are or explain her creative process. She remains an enigma to onlookers.
Kawakubo began designing clothes using the monicker Comme des Garçons in 1969 and established the company in 1971. From then to now, she has never fallen prey to participating in yearly fashion trends, always opting to carve her own path. The only explanation for her runways is the titles themselves. Even the label name, which, when translated, means "like the boys," doesn't have a deep meaning. Kawakubo says, "I chose Comme des Garçons as a name because I liked the sound. I didn't intend to promote myself, that's why I didn't put my name on it," back in 1992, articulating the importance her work has to her. She still has the title of founder and head designer, while her husband, Adrian Joffe, is the president of the brand. The label remaining in Kawakubo's hands allows her complete freedom over the designs and construction of her clothes. Leaving the many sub-labels and the collaborations with brands like Nike, ASICS, Bape, Louis Vuitton, and other luxury/sneaker brands to be what helps fund her endeavors.
Comme des Garçons led Rei Kawakubo to be one of the most respected women in the industry. Her dedication to her craftsmanship, constantly making ground-breaking runways one after the other, helped usher in a new era of high fashion. She is one of the most exciting legacy designers who has challenged everyone's view of beauty.
