comme des Garcons
Description
Rei Kawakubo, a former fine arts and literature student with no formal fashion training, founded Comme des Garcons in Tokyo in 1969. The brand emerged during Japan’s post-war cultural renaissance, a period marked by:
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Economic Surge: Japan’s rapid industrialization and global economic influence.
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Artistic Rebellion: The Mono-ha art movement, which rejected Western modernism in favor of raw materials and spatial relationships.
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Gender Shifts: Women entering corporate Japan, sparking debates about femininity and power.
Kawakubo’s early work rejected the hyper-feminine silhouettes of 1970s fashion. Instead, she sold handmade garments from a tiny Tokyo studio, favoring monochrome palettes, asymmetry, and androgyny. Her aesthetic echoed the wabi-sabi philosophy—finding beauty in impermanence and imperfection—while critiquing Western ideals of luxury.
