How Comme des Garçons Changed the Way We See Clothing

How Comme des Garçons Changed the Way We See Clothing

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When Rei Kawakubo founded Comme des Garçons in Tokyo in 1969, the fashion world had no idea what was coming. The brand, often described as radical, avant-garde, and uncompromising, would go on to transform not just what we wear, but how we think about clothing commes des garcons altogether. Comme des Garçons didn’t just offer garments; it presented ideas—often uncomfortable, abstract, and raw—and in doing so, changed fashion from a business of trends into a platform for thought-provoking artistic expression.

Redefining Beauty and the Human Form

From its earliest collections, Comme des Garçons challenged conventional ideas of beauty. Kawakubo’s designs intentionally subverted the silhouette. Her garments often obscured the body rather than revealing or flattering it. She played with asymmetry, oversized structures, holes, and fraying edges. In the early 1980s, when she brought her first major collections to Paris, many critics responded with confusion or even outrage. Dubbed “Hiroshima chic” for their dark colors, distressed textures, and raw shapes, her designs defied every norm of elegance then reigning in European fashion.

Yet what seemed bizarre at first proved to be visionary. Kawakubo’s work forced the industry and its followers to question deeply held assumptions about femininity, sex appeal, and perfection. By creating clothing that was more architectural than sensual, she opened a new path for designers who wanted to explore deeper themes rather than cater to market-friendly aesthetics.

Clothing as Conceptual Art

What sets Comme des Garçons apart from most fashion houses is its commitment to concept. While most brands are focused on selling wearable pieces, Kawakubo is more interested in telling a story or conveying a philosophy. Each collection operates almost like an art exhibition, with pieces designed to evoke emotion, thought, or reaction rather than simply serve a practical purpose.

In one iconic collection titled “Body Meets Dress, Dress Meets Body” from Spring/Summer 1997, the designer added padded lumps to the garments in unusual places—hips, shoulders, backs—intentionally distorting the form. Critics were left debating whether the collection was a critique of beauty standards, a commentary on deformity, or simply an experiment in shape and movement. This ambiguity is exactly what Kawakubo embraces. To her, fashion is not about answers, but questions.

Breaking the Fashion Business Mold

Comme des Garçons has also changed the way fashion operates on a business level. Unlike most major houses that revolve around a single seasonal rhythm and a carefully controlled image, Comme des Garçons operates as a creative ecosystem. Under its umbrella are dozens of lines, including Play (its most commercially accessible sub-brand), Homme Plus, and collaborations with everyone from Nike to Supreme to copyright. These partnerships show that avant-garde design and mainstream appeal can coexist—though in the world of Comme des Garçons, even streetwear becomes an intellectual exercise.

Moreover, the company has never advertised Comme Des Garcons Converse in traditional ways. It lets the work speak for itself. Kawakubo avoids interviews, gives minimal explanation for her collections, and rarely makes public appearances. This mystique has only deepened the brand's cult status. Instead of chasing trends, Comme des Garçons sets them, often years before the rest of the industry catches up.

Influencing Generations of Designers

The impact of Comme des Garçons on younger designers cannot be overstated. Names like Junya Watanabe and Kei Ninomiya, who trained under Kawakubo, have gone on to establish their own lines, carrying forward her spirit of fearless experimentation. Designers across the globe, from Martin Margiela to Yohji Yamamoto, have cited her influence. Even outside of fashion, artists, architects, and musicians have been inspired by her approach to creativity, which places emotion and concept above all else.

A Legacy of Rebellion

Comme des Garçons is not about making people look good in the conventional sense. It’s about making people feel something. Whether that feeling is confusion, admiration, discomfort, or awe, Kawakubo has proven that clothing can be just as powerful as painting or sculpture in provoking an emotional or intellectual response. She has given fashion a kind of philosophical depth, insisting that clothing can express everything from vulnerability to defiance.

Today, in a world increasingly obsessed with image, Comme des Garçons remains an outlier—an icon of integrity and vision. It reminds us that fashion is not just about consumption, but communication. That style is not only about looking good, but thinking differently. And that sometimes, the most beautiful thing a designer can do is to break the rules.

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