When Rei Kawakubo founded Comme des Garçons in Tokyo in 1969, she wasn’t setting out to create another fashion label. She was building a rebellion in fabric form. The brand’s name — French for “like some boys” — hinted at the gender-fluid mindset Kawakubo carried long before it became cultural currency. Her early collections felt raw, cerebral, and even confrontational. At a time when fashion worshipped symmetry and glamour, she embraced asymmetry and void. The clothes weren’t meant to flatter; they were meant to provoke thought.
The Rise of “Anti-Fashion” in the 1980s
By the early ‘80s, Comme des Garcons had crossed into Paris, shaking the establishment to its core. The 1981 debut show — all in black — was met with confusion, even hostility. Critics called it “Hiroshima chic.” Models appeared almost ghostlike, wrapped in shredded silhouettes that challenged the very idea of beauty. Kawakubo wasn’t selling allure; she was selling honesty — the kind that strips away illusion. What seemed harsh at the time became the spark for an entire movement: anti-fashion.
Deconstruction as a Language
For Kawakubo, clothes weren’t just garments — they were questions stitched together. Seams exposed, shapes distorted, proportions undone. This was more than aesthetic rebellion; it was philosophy translated through textiles. Deconstruction became her dialect. She explored the space between chaos and structure, showing that imperfection carries its own strange poetry. In her hands, a hole in a sweater wasn’t a flaw — it was a thought, an interruption worth contemplating.
The Expansion of the Comme des Garçons Universe
Over time, Comme des Garçons grew into an empire of sub-labels and experimental concepts. From the refined tailoring of Homme Plus to the unpredictable energy of Comme des Garçons Shirt, each line had its own rhythm but shared the same DNA: defiance. Collaborations with brands like Nike, Supreme, and even Louis Vuitton blurred the lines between luxury, streetwear, and art. Kawakubo never chased trends — she created ecosystems where opposites could coexist.
Comme des Garçons PLAY: Streetwear with a Wink
Then came PLAY — the heart-eyed logo that invaded wardrobes worldwide. It was almost ironic: a minimalist offshoot of a brand known for avant-garde chaos became its most recognizable export. But that was the genius. PLAY was Comme des Garçons decoded — still intellectual, but fun, wearable, and disarmingly simple. The little red heart became a symbol for those who wanted to nod to Kawakubo’s world without diving into its deeper abstractions.
Breaking the Runway: Performance as Fashion
A CDG Hooide show isn’t a runway — it’s a mood, a story, sometimes a haunting. Kawakubo treats each presentation like a piece of theatre, merging movement, sound, and symbolism into something visceral. Models might be buried under bulbous shapes or glide in sculptural forms that challenge anatomy itself. These aren’t clothes to “wear” in the usual sense. They’re wearable thoughts — performance art stitched in silk and wool.
The Legacy and Future of Comme des Garçons
Half a century later, Comme des Garçons remains untamed. Its influence echoes through designers like Martin Margiela, Rick Owens, and Yohji Yamamoto, who all carry fragments of Kawakubo’s fearless DNA. Yet Comme is still evolving — still asking uncomfortable questions about what fashion should be. In a world obsessed with algorithms and fast trends, it stands as a reminder that creativity isn’t about pleasing the crowd. It’s about daring to disturb it.