Kawakubo likes to have input in all the various aspects of her business, rather than just focusing on clothes and accessories. Fusing tailored menswear with more feminine elements such as corsets and flower printed dress fabrics, "Persona" was another collection that combined the feminine with the masculine by Comme des Garçons. In fashion we had to get away from the influence of what had been done in the 1920s or the 1930s. [5] Comme des Garçons specialises in anti-fashion, austere, sometimes deconstructed garments. HYPEBAE® is a registered trademark of 101 Media Lab Ltd, in the U.S. and Hong Kong. At Comme des Garçons, Rei Kawakubo Makes the Case for Going Gray on Your Own Terms. Exploring new and innovative ways of creating and wearing clothes, the designer added a much needed breath of fresh air to Paris Fashion Week. January 21, 2016. T oday Rei Kawakubo and her cultural juggernaut of a brand, Comme des Garçons (French for “Like the Boys”), are seen as stable fixtures in the fashion establishment. See more ideas about rei kawakubo, comme des garcons, rei. ... and Unveiling a New Collection Tonight. "[2] During the 1980s, her garments were primarily in black, dark grey or white. The thematic show features approximately 140 examples of Kawakubo's womenswear for Comme des Garçons dating from the early 1980s to her most recent collection, many with heads and wigs created and styled by Julien d'Ys. Being one of fashion's most influential designers, Rei Kawakubo strives to challenge the form the traditional garment. "[10] During the same broadcast of interviews in Japan, Donna Karan added: "Rei Kawakubo is a very interesting designer to me as a woman and a female designer. ... Rei Kawakubo’s shows are such a trip into the beyond. It is a partnership with its own rhythms—while Joffe is based in Paris, his wife lives in Tokyo, in the upscale Aoyama neighborhood, walking distance to CDG’s flagship. She never trained to be a fashion designer; instead she studied art and literature at … Rei Kawakubo est précurseur dans l'usage majoritaire — voir exclusif — du noir [n 1], couleur du deuil et du soir alors rarement présente dans les collections des stylistes ou couturiers [7]. All the heaviness of a world messed up by the actions of humans was visited on the rectangle of … In the first half of the show, Ms. Kawakubo goes from minimalist variations on raw-seamed canvas skirts in the Abstract Excellence Collection (2004), to the tutus and leather jackets of … Its focus is Kawakubo's collection Body Meets Dress—Dress Meets Body, which proposes a radical rethinking of the human form through down-padded garments of stretch nylon and polyurethane in a range of colors and patterns—including girlish bubblegum pink and powder blue gingham. Comme des Garçons collections are designed in the Comme des Garçons studio in Aoyama, Tokyo and are made in Japan, France, Spain, and Turkey. Rei Kawakubo is not one of fashion’s escapists. During the NHK broadcast for Kawakubo, Gaultier stated: "I believe that Kawakubo is a woman with extreme courage. "[6], By 1980, CDG had flourished and according to Thurman, "had a hundred and fifty franchised shops across Japan, eighty employees, and annual revenues of thirty million dollars. Staying true to his vision of the Parisian bourgeoisie. But when you watch someone's challenging themselves like she does every season, it makes you understand why you are in fashion in the first place because of people like her. Fashion: Another world of style: Rei kawakubo. Runway. It’s not about copying her; it’s the purity of her vision... Rei was really involved in the design of the exhibit". She occasionally makes visits to her fashion shows. [23] Bolton also stated that the exhibit in May 2017 is to be titled "Art of the In-Between", and will be an austere, all-white maze hosting approximately 150 Comme ensembles. The Japanese designer has always been all about creating things that have never been seen before, that challenge the conventional and cause a reaction, and this season was no different. Since the late 1980s, her colour palette has grown somewhat.[7]. 10 This fabric innovation has been recognised as a characteristic of Japanese fashion design, as referenced in Bonnie English, Japanese Fashion Designers, The Work and Influence of Issey Miyake, Yohji Yamamoto and Rei Kawakubo, … The 2006 autumn/winter collection dealt with the concept of the "persona",[12] the different ways we present ourselves to the world. “Is it impossible to make something completely and utterly new, since we are all living in this world?” asks Kawakubo, which acted as the central inspiration behind the collection. During the interviews broadcast, Alexander McQueenstated: "When Kawakubo designs a collection, it seems kind of absurd, not just to the general public. [1], Rei Kawakubo was born on 11 October 1942 in Tokyo. The emphasis on black clothing led to the Japanese press describing Kawakubo and her followers as 'The Crows'. Though the colour is often deemed as timeless, Kawakubo constantly tries to reimagine it in new contexts: “I wanted to find tomorrow’s black.” Season after season, collection after collection, she upends In her collection "Bad Taste," she conflates both punk and fetish styles into one garment using seemingly cheap materials like polyester. Rei Kawakubo is the creative director of Comme des Garçons, which, despite operating according to an unconventional ethos rooted in raw creativity, she has grown into a business turning over more than $220 million a year. By generating transgressive forms she strives to completely disregard gendered stereotypes, even in context of the male. She is greatly involved in graphic design, advertising, and shop interiors believing that all these things are a part of one vision and are inextricably linked. Joffe stated that Kawakubo might remain open to the possibility of allowing the current exhibition at the Met to be moved to other locations and museums around the world after it ends its venue in New York on 4 September 2017, though a newly designed exhibition on other themes or concepts was strongly discounted.[28]. As a person, she is very quiet and rather withdrawn, yet her clothes make such an enormous statement."[10]. COMME des GARÇONS Enters Rei Kawakubo's World for FW20, KAWS Reveals COMME des GARÇONS SHIRT FW21 Collaboration, Stussy Launches Fragrance With COMME des GARÇONS Parfums, BLACK COMME des GARÇONS x Nike Unveil Air Zoom Talaria, Hedi Slimane Serves up '70s-Inspired Rock at CELINE's FW20 Show, Shine Bright in Nike's Latest Iridescent Air Max 97 Sneaker, Best New Music of February: SZA, Princess Nokia, Snoh Aalegra and More, The Coolest Model Off-Duty Style From Fashion Month FW20, Get To Know the Female Designers Behind Footaction’s No 1 Way Design Program, Presented by The Japanese designer has always been all about creating things that have never been seen before, that challenge the conventional and cause a reaction, and this season was no different. Moreover, she has a poetic spirit. "[2], Although not formally trained as a fashion designer, Kawakubo did study fine arts and literature at Keio University. I felt I should be doing something more directional, more powerful. Rei KAWAKUBO The iconic Japanese designer and founder of Comme des Garçons says that she works in fashion and not art. "[10], Two other early supporters of Kawakubo were Jean-Paul Gaultier and Donna Karan. [27] One of her latest collections in which these themes are seen is her fall/winter 2017 collection — which she called “the future of silhouette”. Shop looks inspired by runway regulars Sora Choi, Binx Walton and more. He and Kawakubo married in 1992, at the Paris City Hall. Comme des Garçons have collaborated with various other labels over the years including Fred Perry, Levi's Converse All Star, Speedo, Nike, Moncler, Lacoste, Cutler and Gross, Chrome Hearts, Hammerthor,[17] S. N. S. Herning, Louis Vuitton, Supreme, and many others. She is a person with exceptional strength. According to Women's Wear Daily, she is a fashion icon but, during an interview, she said she does not think of herself as an icon. The black dress—and other strange clothes in which I feel most like myself—was designed by Rei Kawakubo. She proposes new ideas of beauty by creating organic forms and protrusions in her garments, creating outfits that discard standard sizes. Kawakubo is known to be quite reclusive and media shy, preferring her innovative creations to speak for themselves. In 2009, Kawakubo even released a one-off bag collection called The Beatles Comme des Garçons in collaboration with Apple Corporation. Take a look at the Fall/Winter 2020 COMME des GARÇONS collection in the gallery above, and for more from Paris Fashion Week, don’t miss all the best street style looks here. [3] The materials were often draped around the body and featured frayed, unfinished edges along with holes and a general asymmetrical shape. On a recent spring day, Erik Madigan Heck photographed six pieces from Kawakubo’s fall 2017 collection — called “Future of Silhouette” — on the Dutch model Saskia de Brauw. She's been challenging our ideas of fashion for her entire career. In 1994, Kawakubo’s Metamorphosis collection, autumn–winter 1994–95, made use of abject boiled woollens, shrunk after construction into ill-fitting sweaters, military-inspired greatcoats and despoiled work wear. An article in Vogue magazine in April 2017 summarized her relationship with Joffe stating: "Joffe, South African by birth and ten years Kawakubo’s junior, joined the company in 1987. This was designed in collaboration between Rei and architect Future Systems and interior designer Takao Kawasaki. So for us she was part of the way we started to think about fashion. For her Fall/Winter 2020 collection, Rei Kawakubo travelled to the depths of her imagination to create a handful of looks defining COMME des GARÇONS. 2021 Hypebeast Limited. Rei Kawakubo ’s signature motifs are these: swellings, layers, and so many sleeves. Kawakubo published her own bi-annual magazine, 'Six' (standing for 'sixth sense'), in the early 1990s. Their presence felt like a statement: Here we are, the most influential forms from the least compromising genius. I think we were 12 or 13. [3], In 1969, she established her own company, Comme des Garçons Co. Ltd in Tokyo[4] and opened up her first boutique there in 1975. But when you watch someone's challenging themselves like she does every season, it makes you understand wh… When I see her creations, I feel the spirit of a young girl. Options from Isabel Marant, Sporty & Rich and Off-White™. I decided to start from zero, from nothing, to do things that have not been done before, things with a strong image. Sep 15, 2017 - Explore Amber Chow's board "Rei Kawakubo", followed by 114 people on Pinterest. The Met Museum's spring show at the Costume Institute highlights the creative force behind the label Comme des Garçons. Confezionato nella sua versione più classica con tessuto di pelo di cammello variamente colorato … Leggi tutto "Montgomery" May 7, 2015. Challenging the established notions of beauty she created an uproar at her debut Paris fashion show where journalists labeled her clothes 'Hiroshima chic' amongst other things. It made a very strong impression because fashion in general was something that we were starting to discover and Rei Kawakubo was part of this ... an enormous outburst of creativity in the beginning of the 80s. But with that one collection, Kawakubo became a lone voice against fashion’s flow of skinny, unstructured tube dresses and bias-cut slips. This Comme des Garçons exhibition in particular highlights key themes that have inspired and continue to inspire her creativity as a designer. The footwear retailer is supporting young talent from historically black colleges and universities. [21] In an article for Business of Fashion in April 2017, Tim Blanks reported generated revenue for CDG and its affiliates as "over $280 million a year". (Kawakubo is reportedly the first one in the office in the morning and the last to leave at night.) The galleries illustrate the designer's revolutionary experiments in "in-betweenness"—the space between boundaries. The early days in particular highlight Comme’s raven aesthetic, with the iconic 1982 ‘Destroy’ collection in Paris featuring an all-black catwalk. Once Kawakubo's renunciation of the artist's role might … She is the founder of Comme des Garçons and Dover Street Market. BY Stephen Crafti A young girl who still has innocence and is a bit romantic. Junya Watanabe[13][14] and, more recently, Tao Kurihara[15][16] have started their own sub-labels under the Comme des Garçons name to much acclaim. See more ideas about rei kawakubo, rei, japanese fashion designers. Her early life in Japan was summarized by Judith Thurman in a New Yorker article from 2005 stating: "She was the oldest of her parents' three children and their only daughter... Their father was an administrator at Keio University, a prestigious institution founded by the great Meiji educator and reformer Fukuzawa Yukichi, a champion of Western culture and, according to Kawakubo, of women's rights. How Rei Kawakubo Spent Decades Defining the Avant-Garde By Véronique Hyland Christy Turlington in the fall 1986 “Bonding” collection, for a Comme des Garçons monograph. Originally created in 2004 in London's Dover Street, more DSM locations have opened in Tokyo, Beijing, Singapore, New York and Los Angeles. She lives in Tokyo but often travels to Paris to visit her companies' head offices in the Place Vendôme. (Duffle coat) Giaccone in lana con tanto di cappuccio, lungo fino ai fianchi o al ginocchio, chiuso da alamari di corda a forma di olivetta che dovevano andare a infilarsi in occhielli fatti di un cappio di corda o di pelle. It featured very little text and consisted mainly of photographs and images that she deemed inspiring. Rei Kawakubo voit le jour en 1942 à Tokyo. For her Fall/Winter 2020 collection, Rei Kawakubo travelled to the depths of her imagination to create a handful of looks defining COMME des GARÇONS. Prior to 2002, Kawakubo has continued support for the use of LGBT references and cultural themes in the photography used in her advertisement and marketing campaigns promoting her clothing and accessories. [11] Her designs have inspired many other late designers like the Belgian Martin Margiela and Ann Demeulemeester, as well as Austrian designer Helmut Lang. "[24] Writing for The New Republic on 3 May 2017, Josephine Livingston stated: "The clothes... are undeniable. Rei Kawakubo is not known for narrative—we assume her collections to be her free-form reaction to the condition of the world—but this collection was a long preplanned event. [26] In the context of the human form, the body is radically reconsidered. Tulle, textures and logo-printed socks reigned supreme, and the Fall/Winter 2020 range was COMME des GARÇONS through and through. [18][19] Kawakubo created the 2008 autumn "guest designer" collection at H&M, designing men's and women's clothing along with some children's and a unisex perfume. Most of the paddings are arranged asymmetrically, creating bulbous swellings that present … Comme des Garçons and H&M collaborated on a collection which was released in the fall of 2008. Get the latest news in women's streetwear, fashion and more. To enter as a … Both also were involved in designing for the casual women's knitwear line "Comme des Garçons Tricot". Between the 1980s and 1990s Kawakubo was in a relationship with fellow 'Hiroshima Chic' fashion designer Yohji Yamamoto, but the relationship ended. By Steff Yotka. [20] Rei is also known for establishing Dover Street Market, whose design ethos can be described as a Comme Des Garcons version of a department store. ), Rei Kawakubo/Commes des Garçons, Art of the In-Between, Institute of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garçons Art of the In-Between, Vogue Magazine. More Stories. Rei Kawakubo’s Offbeat Beauty at Collecting Comme The latest exhibition at the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) inspired by Rei Kawakubo and her vision for fashion will blow you away. The dark, disheveled style was dubbed by the media the “postatomic look” or “Hiroshima chic” and, sometimes, the “bag lady” look. It is impossible for the human mind to not make connections to what we know, but Kawakubo tried her hardest. Her Aoyama, Tokyo, store is known for its sloping glass facade decorated with blue dots. In an interview with Vanessa Friedman for The New York Times following the opening of Kawakubo's 2017 exhibition for the Met, Adrian Joffe, her husband, indicated in a taped 70-minute interview that this exhibition would likely be the last one which Kawakubo, now 74, would participate in personally. Klensch, E. (1 August 1987). [22], Vogue magazine and the Metropolitan Museum in New York have announced that an exhibition dedicated to Kawakubo is scheduled for its 2017 season between 4 May 2017 and 4 September 2017. [9] In 1996 Rei was guest editor of the high art publication Visionaire. Kawakubo later went on to marry Adrian Joffe, the current CEO of Comme des Garçons and Dover Street Market. "[10] During the same broadcast, Viktor & Rolf added: "The first time we became aware of Comme de Garcons was in the 80s. Kawakubo, Rei. In recognition of the notable design contributions of Kawakubo, an exhibition of her designs entitled Rei Kawakubo/Commes des Garçons, Art of the In-Between opened on 5 May 2017 at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. 's board "Rei kawakubo" on Pinterest. 1942) is a Japanese fashion designer based in Tokyo and Paris. Yet she also has an aspect of a fighting woman, one who fears nothing as she thrusts forward. Footaction, New York Is Banning Plastic Bags — Here Are 12 Reusable Shoppers to Carry Instead. Découvrez la biographie de Rei Kawakubo, ses photos, vidéos. When you see them together, he seems to serve as her protector—not just translating for her, but also shielding her from inquiries deemed too prying."[23]. Comme des Garçons Fall 2017 Ready-to-Wear collection, runway looks, beauty, models, and reviews. [10] During the interviews broadcast, Alexander McQueen stated: "When Kawakubo designs a collection, it seems kind of absurd, not just to the general public. After the end of her first decade with Comme de Garcons, in 1982, Kawakubo began to express her dissatisfaction with the early direction of some of her design ideas stating: "Three years ago I became dissatisfied with what I was doing. By doing this, she is also questioning ideas surrounding gender and the body creating transgressive forms, discarding stereotypes surrounding the female. There’s a New Comme des Garçons Movie—But It’s Not About What You Think It Is [6] In an early positive review of the exhibit at its opening, Matthew Schneier writing for The New York Times on 1 May 2017 referred to it stating that: "The exhibition, 150 outfits in all, is overpowering. [8] The exhibition shows about 150 pieces of Kawakubo’s women’s wear for Comme des Garçons, from the early 1980s to the present day."[25]. But, over the years-with collections like that of the infamous "bumps" for 1997 to the black vinyl dymaxion-like collage dresses for Spring/Summer 2009-she has systematically reimagined the human form. As models paraded down the runway to a different song per look, we saw gravity-defying headpieces, exaggerated silhouettes, veils and geometric structures, bridging the worlds of sculpture and fashion. Three years later, she started presenting her fashion lines in Paris each season with Vladislav Bachinskyy , opening up a boutique in Paris in 1982.