Comme des Garçons, founded by visionary designer Rei Kawakubo in 1969, stands at the forefront of avant-garde fashion. Known for its unique, boundary-pushing designs, the brand challenges conventional notions of beauty, style, and what it means to be fashionable. Over the decades, Comme des Garçons has earned a reputation for consistently breaking the rules of fashion and offering a new perspective on clothing. With its bold silhouettes, innovative materials, and deconstructed aesthetics, the brand’s new fashion style is as much an artistic statement as it is wearable fashion.
Breaking the Mold of Traditional Fashion
From the beginning, Comme des Garçons rejected traditional fashion norms. Rei Kawakubo’s approach was to create clothing that didn’t follow the typical patterns of what was considered “in fashion.” In fact, her designs often seem to defy fashion itself, with pieces that can appear oversized, asymmetrical, or unfinished.
Kawakubo’s unique take on fashion is often described as conceptual or intellectual, with garments that are more like wearable art than conventional clothing. Her willingness to challenge the standards of beauty by embracing imperfections, such as torn fabrics and unconventional cuts, sets Comme des Garçons apart as a new and refreshing style. The brand’s creations often seem to be a critique of fashion itself, urging people to rethink the role of clothing in their lives.
Deconstruction: A Signature Approach
One of the key elements that define Comme des Garçons’ new fashion style is deconstruction. Kawakubo often takes traditional pieces of clothing and reimagines them by pulling them apart and putting them back together in unexpected ways. This results in garments that may look inside-out, feature exposed seams, or appear asymmetrical.
Deconstruction as a design method allows Comme des Garçons to reinterpret classic fashion staples like blazers, coats, and dresses. For example, what looks like a traditional jacket from one angle may have an entirely unexpected silhouette or structure from another. This approach forces the wearer—and the viewer—to question the very nature of the garment, giving new life to familiar pieces.
Bold and Experimental Silhouettes
Comme des Garçons is well-known for its innovative silhouettes, which frequently push the boundaries of traditional garment shapes. From exaggerated shoulders to boxy, voluminous forms, Kawakubo plays with proportion in a way that often makes the wearer reconsider how clothing should fit the human body.
These experimental shapes are more than just design quirks; they serve as commentary on the rigidity of fashion standards and invite people to think differently about how clothes interact with the body. By manipulating and distorting shapes, Kawakubo’s designs are often more like wearable sculptures than conventional garments.
Challenging Gender Norms
Comme des Garçons has long been known for its role in challenging gender norms in fashion. Kawakubo’s designs are often gender-neutral, blurring the lines between menswear and womenswear. This nonconformity to traditional gender-specific clothing is a significant part of the brand’s new fashion style.
For example, Kawakubo frequently incorporates masculine tailoring into women’s collections, while elements like lace and delicate fabrics appear in men’s designs. This approach to design is not only revolutionary but has paved the way for other designers to embrace more fluid interpretations of gender in fashion. Comme des Garçons’ disregard for strict gender norms has made it a leader in the movement toward inclusivity and diversity in fashion.
The Power of Black
Black has become synonymous with Comme des Garçons. Kawakubo is known for her frequent use of the color black, a tone she uses to express simplicity, rebellion, and elegance all at once. For many seasons, entire collections were dominated by the color, making a bold statement in an industry often saturated with vibrant hues and patterns.
However, for Kawakubo, black is never boring. She uses texture, layering, and shape to create depth and complexity, proving that a monochromatic palette can still be dynamic and impactful. In many ways, black represents the essence of Comme des Garçons: stark, bold, and defiant of trends.