Comme Des Garcons fashion unique style
Comme des Garçons, founded by the enigmatic Rei Kawakubo in Tokyo in 1969, stands as one of fashion’s most revolutionary and uncompromising brands. Its name, translating to “like boys” in French, hints at the subversive approach to Comme Des Garcons gender and form that would become central to its identity. With no formal fashion training, Kawakubo approached design from a place of pure artistic vision, unburdened by the conventions that governed Western fashion houses. This freedom would result in a body of work that consistently challenges our understanding of clothing, beauty, and the very purpose of fashion itself.
The Philosophy of Deconstruction
At the heart of Comme des Garçons’ unique style lies a radical philosophy of deconstruction. While many designers focus on enhancing the body through flattering silhouettes and impeccable construction, Kawakubo has consistently questioned these fundamental principles. Her work often appears intentionally “unfinished” or “deconstructed,” with visible seams, raw edges, and asymmetrical constructions that draw attention to the artifice of clothing itself. The Spring/Summer 1982 collection, famously dubbed “Lumps and Bumps,” featured garments with padding sewn onto dresses and tops in unusual places, creating silhouettes that deliberately distorted the human form rather than accentuating it.
This approach extends beyond mere aesthetic choices to a conceptual framework that challenges the very nature of fashion. By creating clothes that are intentionally difficult to wear, that privilege artistic expression over functionality, Kawakubo forces us to question why we wear clothes and what we expect from them. Her designs often exist in a space between fashion and art, occupying what she calls “the space between” – neither one thing nor the other, but something entirely new.
The Power of Monochrome
Perhaps the most immediately recognizable aspect of Comme des Garçons’ aesthetic is its profound relationship with black. While other designers have used black for its slimming properties or sophisticated connotations, Kawakubo has employed it as a conceptual tool. Her groundbreaking Autumn/Winter 1983 collection, presented almost entirely in black, was initially met with shock and confusion. The media dubbed it “Hiroshima chic,” referencing the somber palette and destroyed-looking garments that seemed to reference post-war Japan.
For Comme des Garçons, black is never merely a color but a statement – a rejection of fashion’s frivolity and an embrace of something deeper, more profound. It serves as a canvas upon which texture, form, and silhouette become the primary focus. In Kawakubo’s hands, black reveals rather than conceals, allowing the intricate constructions and unusual shapes of her garments to emerge without the distraction of color. This monochromatic approach has become a signature element of the brand, though Comme des Garçons has also explored other colors with the same conceptual rigor.
Reinventing Silhouette
Comme des Garçons has consistently challenged conventional silhouettes, creating forms that seem to exist independently of the body. The Autumn/Winter 1997 “Dress Meets Body, Body Meets Dress” collection featured garments with protruding, tumor-like bumps that transformed the human figure into something almost unrecognizable. These designs were not meant to be flattering in any traditional sense; instead, they invited viewers to reconsider the relationship between clothing and the body.
Similarly, the Spring/Summer 2014 collection featured models in voluminous, sculptural garments that seemed to engulf the wearer. With exaggerated proportions and unusual materials, these creations resembled walking artworks more than conventional clothing. Throughout Comme des Garçons’ history, such radical reimaginings of the human form have been central to the brand’s identity, challenging wearers and viewers alike to expand their understanding of what clothing can be.
The Art of Imperfection
Central to Comme des Garçons’ aesthetic is an embrace of imperfection that stands in stark contrast to fashion’s typical pursuit of flawlessness. Kawakubo has long found beauty in asymmetry, irregularity, and the unfinished. Her garments often feature intentional fraying, uneven hems, and seemingly random holes that transform perceived flaws into design elements.
This appreciation for imperfection extends to the materials themselves. Comme des Garçons frequently employs unconventional fabrics – industrial materials, recycled textiles, and found objects – transforming them into high fashion. The Spring/Summer 1992 collection, for instance, featured garments made from vintage lace and damaged fabrics that had been painstakingly repaired, celebrating the beauty of age and wear rather than attempting to conceal it.
Gender Fluidity and Androgyny
Long before gender fluidity became a prominent topic in fashion, Comme des Garçons was challenging traditional notions of gendered clothing. The brand’s very name hints at this subversive approach, and its designs have consistently blurred the lines between masculine and feminine. Kawakubo herself has often spoken of designing clothes that exist outside conventional gender categories, focusing instead on form, concept, and artistic expression.
Comme des Garçons’ menswear line, introduced in 1978, similarly challenges traditional menswear conventions, incorporating elements typically associated with womenswear and creating silhouettes that defy easy categorization. This approach has had a profound influence on contemporary fashion’s increasing embrace of gender-neutral designs.
The Comme des Garçons Universe
Beyond its main line, Comme des Garçons has expanded into a multifaceted empire that includes numerous diffusion lines, each with its own distinct identity while maintaining the brand’s core principles. Play Comme des Garçons, with its iconic heart logo designed by Filip Pagowski, offers a more accessible entry point to the brand’s aesthetic. Comme des Garçons Shirt focuses on innovative takes on the classic shirt, while Dover Street Market, the retail concept launched by Kawakubo and Adrian Joffe, serves as a curated space for the brand’s vision alongside other like-minded designers.
This expansion has not diluted the brand’s vision but rather allowed it to explore different facets of its aesthetic philosophy. Each line operates with a degree of independence while contributing to the overall Comme des Garçons universe – a testament to the flexibility and enduring relevance of Kawakubo’s original vision.
Legacy and Influence
Comme des Garçons’ influence on contemporary fashion cannot be overstated. Kawakubo’s willingness to challenge conventions has paved the way for generations of designers who approach fashion as an artistic medium rather than purely commercial enterprise. The brand’s emphasis on conceptual rigor, deconstruction, and the blurring of boundaries between art and fashion has become increasingly relevant in an industry where these distinctions continue to dissolve.
Designers as diverse as Martin Margiela, Alexander McQueen, and Demna Gvasalia have all drawn inspiration from Comme des Garçons’ radical approach. Even mainstream fashion has been influenced by the brand’s embrace of asymmetry, deconstructed elements, and gender fluidity – concepts that were once considered avant-garde but have now entered the fashion vernacular.
In 2017, the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute mounted an exhibition titled “Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garçons: Art of the In-Between,” cementing Kawakubo’s status as a true artist whose work transcends fashion. The exhibition celebrated her ability to create designs that exist in the spaces between conventional categories – East/West, male/female, past/future – and in doing so, forge entirely new territory.
Conclusion
Comme des Garçons’ unique style represents more than just a distinctive aesthetic; it embodies a philosophy that challenges our fundamental assumptions about clothing, beauty, and identity. Through deconstruction, monochrome exploration, radical silhouettes, and an embrace of imperfection, Rei Kawakubo has created a body of work that consistently pushes boundaries and defies expectations.
