COMME des GARÇONS

In 1969, Rei Kawakubo started COMME des GARÇONS, and was later founded as a company in 1973. Kawakubo serves both as a designer and an owner. In 1975 they began showing in Tokyo Collection, and at Paris fashion week from 1981. Her designs gave a huge shock to the world of fashion, which at the time bright and glamorous designs were common due to the economic bubble. Her avant-garde pieces mainly focusing on the colour black were often called “Boro-look” (Boro, meaning in Japanese, worn-out) and “Kuro no Shogeki” (directly translated as “impact caused by black”), causing sensation together with Yohji Yamamoto. She continues to show legendary collections, making pieces that are unconventional of what’s expected of clothing. Her achievements are internationally recognised, and in 2017 the exhibition “Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garçons: Art of the In Between” was held at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. No other active fashion designer has been the feature of the exhibition since Yves Saint Laurent exhibition held in 1983. Kawakubo is also a successful business manager, creating many other brands within the company and running her select shop “DOVER STREET MARKET” which is available across the world.