Comme des Garçons, the brand that transforms fashion into art

From the sartorial designs of the eighties to the impossible balloon dresses of their last collections, the Japanese firm Comme des Garçons ('Like the boys') the fashion world has been revolutionized with their creations.Minimalists or impossible, their designs have been at the top of the 'fashion' panorama.We break the keys to your style.

The birth of the firm

The Comme Des Garçons brand was founded on Tokyo (Japan) in 1969, by designer Rei Kawakubo.After a few years in which he manages to make a place in his country, in 1981 his collections were presented for the first time at the Paris Fashion Week.Of austere style, composed of costumes and dresses unstructured in dark colors, these collections meant a real revolution that stood out for their simplicity in the excessive eighties, and soon its deconstructed style became its identity signal.

Rei Kawakubo, often described as a conceptual artist, has always sought to transgress and innovate in each collection.Very linked to the art world, its first collections used the color black as a sign of identity, due to their marked unisex character, a concept that has not stopped exploring.Of course, his creations have been complicated over the years, in his eagerness to be at the forefront.Not surprisingly, Rei has been cited by many designers, by Martin Margiela to Helmut Lang, as a source of inspiration.In 2017 even the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York prepared a retrospective exhibition, the second that has dedicated to a living designer, after the sample dedicated to Yves Saint Laurent.

Comme des Garçons DNA

His punk and underground style has a legion of followers, who strive to get a piece of the brand's prêt-à-porter of the brand, designed in Japan and produced in France, Spain or Turkey. Sus colaboraciones con marcas más asequibles, como Nike, Converse o H&M han acercado al gran público sus creaciones.

The other leg of the firm, which tries to turn the designs of the great artist into sales, is Adrian Joffe, her husband.Executive Director of the company, is responsible for Dover Street Market, a multidisciplinary space where Comme des Garçons collections are sold together with those of other designers.With the presence in London, New York, Tokyo, Singapore and Beijing, the brand also has spaces that it calls guerrillas, ephemeral concept stores in which art and fashion are mixed.In addition to Rei Kawakuko, other designers deal with some brands of the brand, such as their disciple Junya Watanabe, responsible for the firm's male collections and a line that bears his name, as well as creator of successful collaborations with companies such as Loewe or Cougar.

This Japanese giant has also entered the lucrative perfume business, allying with the Spanish multinational Puig to license its fragrances.Unexpected, such as their clothes, include notes of conceptual elements such as oxygen, coal or sand.Despite not being suitable for anyone, their innovative designs are ahead of time and are a source of inspiration for more commercial proposals.Perhaps, like contemporary art, they need some time to reach the general public.