Wikipedia

Comme des Garçons

(Redirected fromComme des Garcons)

Comme des Garçons(Frenchfor 'Like Boys',pronounced[kɔmdeɡaʁsɔ̃];Japanese:コム・デ・ギャルソン,romanized:Komu de Gyaruson),[1]alsoCDGfor short, is aJapanese fashionlabel based inParis,founded byRei Kawakubo.[2]Its French flagship store is located in Paris, while its other physical retail stores are inLondon,Berlin,Melbourne,Seoul,Hong Kong,New York Cityand in theAoyamadistrict ofTokyo.[3]Other than fashion, the label has expanded to includejewelryandperfume(under the brandComme des Garçons Parfums).[4]

Comme des Garçons Co., Ltd.
Company typePublic company
IndustryFashion
Founded1969;55 years ago(1969)
FounderRei Kawakubo
HeadquartersTokyo,Japan (de facto)
Paris,France (de jure)
Key people
Adrian Joffe
CEO
Junya Watanabe
Designer
Tao Kurihara
Designer
Kei Ninomiya
Designer
ProductsApparel,accessories,perfumes
Number of employees
800 est. (2011)
Websitewww.comme-des-garcons.com
Comme des Garçons garments on display at theMetropolitan Museum of Art

The company features its main collections duringParis Fashion Weekand Paris Men's Fashion Week.[5]In 2017, it was reported that the company and its affiliates generated a revenue "of over $280 million a year".[6]

History

edit
Comme des Garçons forH&Mtuxedojacket, 2009

The label was started inTokyobyRei Kawakuboin 1969 and established as a company in 1973. The brand's name was inspired byFrançoise Hardy's 1962 song "Tous les garçons et les filles",particularly from the line"Comme les garçons et les filles de mon âge"(" like the boys and girls my age ").[7]The brand became successful in Japan in the 1970s and amenswearline was added in 1978. In 1981, the company had adebut showin Paris. Kawakubo's heavy use of black distressedfabrics,and unfinishedseamswere viewed negatively by French critics.[8]

Throughout the 1980s, its clothes often were associated with a distressed andpunk-oriented style.In 1982, Kawakubo's collection "Destroy" was heavily criticised.Women's Wear Dailycalled it the "Hiroshima bag lady look", and the Associated Press proclaimed Kawakubo the "high priestess of the Jap wrap". Unusual styles continued through the 1990s, many of which were disliked by experts.[9]

In 1993, the company created its perfume line,Comme Des Garçons Parfums

In 2004, the company split its business into handmadegarmentsproduced in France, and non-handmade garments in Japan,SpainandTurkey.The product linePlay,the most recognizable and mainstream Comme des Garçons casual luxury line,is largely produced in Japan, Spain, and Turkey, while some of its products are also made in France.[10]

Comme des Garçons lines

edit
Designed by Rei Kawakubo
  • Comme des Garçons – main womenswear line (since 1969)
  • Comme des Garçons Noir – black-dominated womenswear collection (since 1987)
  • Comme des Garçons Comme Des Garçons – (also referred to as 'Comme Comme') womenswear (since 1993)
  • Comme des Garçons Homme Plus – main menswear line (since 1984)
  • Comme des Garçons Homme Plus Sport – sport wear oriented subline of Homme Plus
  • Comme des Garçons Homme Plus Evergreen – subline of Homme Plus, re-invented items from past collections (since 2005)
  • Comme des Garçons Homme Deux – formal tailored menswear (since 1987)
  • Comme des Garçons Shirt – collection featuring mostly shirts (since 1988)
  • Comme des Garçons Shirt Girl
  • Comme des Garçons Shirt Boy (since 2014, discontinued 2019)
  • Comme des Garçons Girl (since 2015)
  • Play Comme des Garçons – casual streetwear for younger men and women, featuring a bug-eyed logo (collaboration withNew York Citygraphic artist Filip Pagowski)
  • CDG – contemporary streetwear, re-issues of staff items, and accessories emblazoned with a new black and white CDG logo (since 2018)
  • BLACK Comme des Garçons –unisex,lower-priced line, initially started due to the recession in 2008. Many products from this line were sold inpop-up shops.
Designed byJunya Watanabe
  • Comme des Garçons Homme – menswear Japanese line (since 1978)
  • Comme des Garçons Robe de Chambre – womenswear Japanese line (discontinued)
  • Junya Watanabe Comme des Garçons – womenswear (since 1992)
  • Junya Watanabe Comme des Garçons Man – menswear (since 2001)
  • Junya Watanabe Comme des Garçons Man Pink – menswear items for women (discontinued)
Designed by Tao Kurihara
  • Tao Comme des Garçons – womenswear (launched 2005, discontinued after spring 2011, relaunched 2021)
  • Tricot Comme des Garçons – womenswear knits (discontinued 2020)
Designed by Fumito Ganryu
  • Ganryu Comme des Garçons –asexualstreet style label, Ganryu was a former pattern-maker at Junya Watanabe
Designed by Kei Ninomiya
  • Noir Kei Ninomiya – womenswear (launched in 2013), Ninomiya was a former pattern-maker at CdG
Accessories
  • Comme des Garçons Edited – special items for Edited shops in Japan
  • Comme des Garçons Pearl – jewelry (since 2006)
  • Comme des Garçons Parfum – (since 1994, licensed toPuigsince 2002)
  • Comme des Garçons Parfum Parfum
  • Comme des Garçons Wallet
  • Speedo Comme des Garçons – swimwear collaboration (since 2005)
  • Hammerthor Comme des Garçons Shirt – underwear collaboration (since 2007)
Others
  • Comme des Garçons Peggy Moffitt
  • Comme des Garçons Six – bi-annual magazine (from 1988 to 1991)

Perfume

edit

The company also produces a line ofagenderedfragrances,most of which are unconventional in the world of perfume and aligned with the styles of its garments.[11]

The company released its first fragrance,Comme des Garçons,in 1994[12]and its firstanti-perfumeOdeur 53in 1998.[13]The anti-perfume features a blend of 53 non-traditional scents which is rarely heard of in many other fragrance brands.[14]

The company also released the Luxe seriesChampaca,for which artistKaterina Jebbproduced the visuals.[citation needed]

Adrian Joffe, the founder's husband and the CEO of the company, set up two companies. Comme des Garçons Parfums is for licensing some of the perfumes toPuigfrom 2002[15][16]and Comme des Garçons Parfums for selling the rest by its own.[17]

The company developed a unisex fragrance, G I R L, and released it on August 28, 2014.[18]ArtistKAWSdesigned the bottle.[19]

In 2017, the company launched a new fragrance, Concrete and marked its launch in the US with a dinner curated by the artist and chef,Laila Gohar.

Fashion

edit

Its collections are designed in the studio in Aoyama, Tokyo, and manufactured in Japan, France, Spain, and Turkey. Over the years, the company has recurrently associated itself with theartsandculturalprojects internationally. The 1997 spring-summer collection, often referred to as thelumps and bumpscollection, which contained fabric in bulk and balls on the garments, led to a collaboration, also in 1997, between Rei Kawakubo and New York-basedchoreographerMerce CunninghamcalledScenario.The 2006 autumn/winter collection dealt with the concept of thepersona,[20]the different ways to present one's self to the world. Fusing tailored menswear withfeminineelements such ascorsetsandflowerprinted dress fabrics,Personawas another collection that combined the feminine with themasculine.

Junya Watanabe[21][22]and, as of recently, Tao Kurihara[23][24]have started their own sub-labels under the label. Both also were involved in designing for the casual women'sknitwearlineTricot.

Comme des Garçons dress

The company have collaborated with various other labels over the years such as Hammerthor,[25]H&M.[26][27]and Stüssy.[28]

In other media,Björkwore the label in the music video forIsobel.[citation needed]Frank Oceannamed a song after the company.[29]John Watersdevoted a chapter of his 2010 bookRole Modelsto the label and founder.[30][31]Swedish musicianJonna Leecollaborated with the company in the creation of her audiovisual albumEveryone Afraid to Be Forgotten,where the fashion house designed the costumes for the film.[32][33][34]

Controversies

edit

1995: 'Auschwitz' Fashions

edit

The 1995 "Sleep" collection consisted of striped pajamas "bearing prints of identification numbers and marks of military boot prints".[35]Contemporaneous media coverage juxtaposed images of the collection with images taken atAuschwitz concentration camp,and the controversy received international coverage.[36][37]TheWorld Jewish Congresscondemned the collection,[35]and fashion criticSuzy Menkescalled the collection "'Auschwitz' fashions".[35][36]Kawakubo responded that the collection had been "completely misunderstood" and the controversy made her "very sad".[35]

2015: Guarachero Boots

edit

The Spring/Summer 2015 menswear collection included "guarachero" boots based on theMexican pointy bootsofMatehuala,Mexico, raising concerns ofcultural appropriation.[38][39]

2020: Black Hairstyles

edit

In January 2020, a predominantly white group of models worecornrowedlace-front wigsin the fall 2020 menswear show.[40]This was seen as theappropriationof Black culture, particularly with the use of traditionally Black hairstyles on non-Black models. Stylist Julien d'Ys responded on Instagram, "Dear all, my inspiration for the Comme Des Garçons show was Egyptian prince, A Look I found truly beautiful and inspirational. A look that was an hommage. Never was it my intention to hurt or offend anyone, ever. If I did I deeply apologize."[41]

Exhibitions

edit

After the Paris début, the company exhibitedphotographsbyPeter Lindberghat theCentre Georges Pompidouin Paris in 1986.[42]In 1990, it held anexhibitionofsculpture.And again in 2005, it held an exhibition inShinjuku,Tokyo ofadvertisingandgraphic designs.

In August 2010, the company opened a 19,000 square feet (1,800 m2) six-levelflagship storeinSeoul,South Koreafeaturing a branded art-exhibition space, its first outside Japan.[43]

In May 2017,Metropolitan Museum of Artof New York held a fashion exhibition with the themeRei Kawakubo/Comme des Garçons Art of the In-Between.This exhibition ran until September of the same year.[44][45]

Stores

edit
Aoyama Store

Signature boutiques are located inLondon(asDover Street Market),Paris,New York City,[46]Beijing,[47]Hong Kong,[48]Seoul,Manila,Saint Petersburg,Tokyo,Kyoto,Osaka,Fukuoka.The company also maintainsconcessionsat selectdepartment stores,such asIsetan.

The company opened the firstGuerrillastores in 2004 inBerlin.[49]The aim of the Guerrilla stores is to be open for only one year[50]and to spend a minimal amount of money on the interiors.[51]The stores are also purposefully located away from fashionable hubs and districts of a city. Guerrilla stores have been opened, and subsequently closed, inReykjavík,Warsaw,Helsinki,Singapore,Stockholm,Athens,and others. In July 2007, a Guerrilla Store opened inBeirut,Lebanon, and in February 2008, a Guerrilla Store opened in downtownLos Angeles,the first in the United States.[52]In November 2008, it opened another Guerilla store in the west end ofGlasgow.In 2004 its opened another inLondonofDover Street Market.[53][54]

In December 2009, the company opened a 4,400 square feet (410 m2) store inHong KongcalledUnder The Ground.Hong Kong also had a guerrilla store opened and closed in previous years, run by Silly Thing Hong Kong.[55]In March 2012, it opened a store inManila.Also, the first Dover Street Market in Japan opened inGinza.[56]In December 2013,Dover Street Marketin New York City opened.[57]In 2021, the company reintroduced its "Guerilla" stores, pioneering temporary boutiques that predated the pop-up shop movement by a good decade or so.

References

edit
  1. ^"Company Overview of Comme Des Garcons Co., Ltd".Bloomberg BusinessWeek. Archived fromthe originalon February 24, 2014.RetrievedFebruary 24,2014.
  2. ^"Comme des Garçons biography".Catwalk Yourself.RetrievedFebruary 27,2022.
  3. ^"Comme des Garçons worldwide stores".comme-des-garcons.com.RetrievedSeptember 24,2020.
  4. ^"8 COMME des GARÇONS Diffusion Labels Integral to Rei Kawakubo's Vision".HYPEBEAST.September 21, 2015.RetrievedNovember 26,2020.
  5. ^Slowey, Anne; Hyzagi, Jacques (March 4, 2016)."Rei Kawakubo Never Meant to Start a Revolution".ELLE.
  6. ^Blanks, Tim (April 24, 2017)."Rei Kawakubo: A Punk's Pain".The Business of Fashion.Archived fromthe originalon November 18, 2020.RetrievedDecember 11,2022.
  7. ^"The True Story of How COMME des GARÇONS Got Its Name".Highsnobiety.RetrievedMay 24,2019.
  8. ^Kate Betts (February 9, 2004)."Women in fashion – Rei Kawakubo".Time magazine. Archived fromthe originalon February 10, 2004.RetrievedJune 30,2019.
  9. ^Buck, Stephanie (August 3, 2017)."Japan's 'crow tribe' is the reason everyone started wearing black in New York".Medium.RetrievedNovember 20,2020.
  10. ^"A Comprehensive Guide to the Comme Universe".Grailed.RetrievedNovember 20,2020.
  11. ^Wells, Pete (September 17, 2013)."Comme des Garçons builds niche perfume empire".International Herald Tribune. Archived fromthe originalon October 12, 2008.RetrievedSeptember 24,2013.
  12. ^"Comme des Garçons Perfume".HYPEBEAST.Archived fromthe originalon October 15, 2008.
  13. ^"New Comme des Garçons perfume".Wallpaper. May 9, 2008. Archived fromthe originalon February 8, 2009.RetrievedSeptember 24,2013.
  14. ^"Comme des Garçons".The Conveyor Belt. March 20, 2008. Archived fromthe originalon September 27, 2013.RetrievedSeptember 24,2013.
  15. ^"Comme des Garcons, new signing Puig".¡Hola!. Archived fromthe originalon July 24, 2018.RetrievedApril 29,2012.
  16. ^"Lunch with the FT: Adrian Joffe – FT.com".Financial Times.January 17, 2014.RetrievedAugust 3,2016.
  17. ^Friedman, Vanessa."Lunch with the FT: Adrian Joffe".Financial Times.ISSN0307-1766.RetrievedAugust 3,2016.
  18. ^"G I R L by Pharrell Williams Eau de Parfum (100 ml natural spray)".Dover Street Market New York.Archived fromthe originalon August 26, 2014.RetrievedAugust 22,2014.
  19. ^Kilcooley-O'Halloran, Scarlett (March 12, 2014)."The Scent of Pharrell".RetrievedMarch 12,2014.
  20. ^Sarah Mower (March 4, 2006)."Comme des Garçons F/W 2006".style.com. Archived fromthe originalon July 18, 2008.RetrievedSeptember 24,2013.
  21. ^"Junya Watanabe".NYmag. Archived fromthe originalon November 9, 2012.RetrievedSeptember 24,2013.
  22. ^Mari Davis; Tom Massey; Boyd Davis."Junya Watanabe".Fashion Windows. Archived fromthe originalon June 30, 2013.RetrievedSeptember 24,2013.
  23. ^"Gentle maverick Tao Kurihara's autumn collection will be the last under her own name. She explains her change of direction to Susannah Frankel".Independent.co.uk.
  24. ^"Liberty: Designer Room".Archived fromthe originalon April 14, 2008.
  25. ^"vmagazine.com Comme des Garçons and the most avant-garde underwear around".Archived fromthe originalon January 23, 2008.
  26. ^"Comme des Garcons for H&M".Vogue. April 3, 2008. Archived fromthe originalon August 20, 2010.RetrievedSeptember 24,2013.
  27. ^Wells, Pete (September 17, 2013)."Rei Kawakubo and H & M: A collaboration to watch".International Herald Tribune. Archived fromthe originalon December 4, 2008.RetrievedSeptember 24,2013.
  28. ^Exposito, Adrian Gomis (November 13, 2020)."Stüssy X CDG Capsule Collection Vanity Teen hư vinh thanh niên Lifestyle & New Faces Magazine".www.vanityteen.com.RetrievedFebruary 27,2022.
  29. ^Gregory, Alice (September 3, 2018)."Rei Kawakubo Revealed (Sort Of) (Published 2018)".The New York Times.ISSN0362-4331.RetrievedDecember 1,2020.
  30. ^"John Waters on His Rei Kawakubo Obsession".The Cut.RetrievedDecember 1,2020.
  31. ^"Comme Des Garcons Designer Rei Kawakubo Was Announced as the 2017 Met Gala Theme".Repeller.October 25, 2016.RetrievedDecember 1,2020.
  32. ^AnOther (March 9, 2017)."The Ethereal New Musical Endeavour from Jonna Lee".AnOther.RetrievedDecember 3,2020.
  33. ^"Watch ionnalee's Captivating Collaboration With Commes des Garçons".www.out.com.June 3, 2017.RetrievedDecember 3,2020.
  34. ^Lunny, Oisin (July 1, 2017)."Dual Talents: Get To Know The Artists Bridging The Gap Between Fashion and Music".OISIN LUNNY.RetrievedDecember 3,2020.
  35. ^abcdMenkes, Suzy (February 4, 1995)."'Auschwitz' Fashions Draw Jewish Rebuke ".The New York Times.Archived fromthe originalon October 10, 2015.
  36. ^abZborowska, Agata (2014). "Uses and abuses of history: A case of a Comme des Garçons fashion show".Critical Studies in Fashion & Beauty.5(2): 233–252.doi:10.1386/csfb.5.2.233_1.
  37. ^McCrystal, Cal (February 5, 1995). "Outrage at 'death camps' pyjama fashion".Independent on Sunday.
  38. ^Villegas, Paulina (August 23, 2016)."In Arts and Culture, a 'New' Mexico Embraces Its Roots".The New York Times.
  39. ^Tejo, Lucía (April 8, 2015)."These 'pointy boots' from Mexico are in style this spring".Al Día.
  40. ^Russo, Gianluca (January 18, 2020)."Comme des Garçons Called Out for Cultural Appropriation During Paris Fashion Week Show".Teen Vogue.
  41. ^"juliendys on Instagram".January 18, 2020. Archived fromthe originalon December 24, 2021.
  42. ^"Peter Lindbergh for Comme des Garçons".Archived fromthe originalon May 13, 2008.
  43. ^"Comme des Garçons Seoul Flagship Store".Hypebeast. September 1, 2010.RetrievedSeptember 24,2013.
  44. ^Time magazine. Kawakubo announcement of 2017 exhibit
  45. ^"Comme des Garçons".Vogue(in Spanish). July 2, 2013.RetrievedFebruary 27,2022.
  46. ^"Future Systems: Comme des Garçonss".Archived fromthe originalon April 15, 2008.
  47. ^"highsnobiety: Comme des Garçons Beijing flagship store".[dead link‍]
  48. ^"Comme des Garcons Store 2007 Hong Kong".HYPEBEAST.Archived fromthe originalon May 17, 2008.
  49. ^Fortini, Amanda (December 12, 2004)."The New York Times: The Anti-Concept Concept Store".The New York Times.RetrievedSeptember 24,2013.
  50. ^Cathy Horyn (February 17, 2004)."The New York Times: A Store Made for Right Now: You Shop Until It's Dropped".New York Times.RetrievedSeptember 24,2013.
  51. ^"Archimedes Pool: Guerrilla Store by Comme des Garçons".Archimedespool.wordpress.com. September 21, 2007.RetrievedSeptember 24,2013.
  52. ^Vesilind, Emili (February 17, 2008)."Los Angeles Times: A hip hideaway".Articles.latimes.com.RetrievedSeptember 24,2013.
  53. ^"Dover Street Market | icon 017 | November 2004 | ICON MAGAZINE ONLINE".October 17, 2008. Archived fromthe originalon October 17, 2008.
  54. ^Tamsin Blanchard (October 3, 2004)."The Observer: Shabby chic".London: Observer.guardian.co.uk.RetrievedSeptember 24,2013.
  55. ^"hypebeast: Comme des Garçons Hong Kong".Archived fromthe originalon May 1, 2008.
  56. ^"Expected brands at DSM".Archived fromthe originalon January 24, 2012.
  57. ^Jacob Bernstein (December 24, 2013)."At Dover Street Market, Differences of Opinion".The New York Times.RetrievedJanuary 30,2014.
edit
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Comme_des_Garçons&oldid=1257896521"