Designer Focus: Comme des Garcons

"I'm tired of mundane, everyday fashion. I am curious. I want something that takes us to another world." - Rei Kawakubo

No-one does anti-fashion better than Rei Kawakubo, as anyone who knows a little thing or two about vintage clothing will tell you. One of the world's most innovative and influential designers, she formed her label Comme des Garçons (French for 'Like the boys') in Tokyo in 1973. Despite never having had any formal fashion training (she conveys her ideas verbally to her patternmakers), the label quickly established itself as an avant-garde power house that changed the face of fashion throughout the eighties.

Comme Des Garçons: Melding Fashion With Art

Seeing fashion as art first and foremost, Japanese-born Rei Kawakubo turned the industry on its head with her anti-fashion approach. Kicking against the power dressing trend that was popular on the catwalks in the early 80s, Comme des Garçons presented collections that featured dismantled, asymmetric pieces with raw-edged seams and distressed finishes.

Favouring a monochrome palette, Rei's designs changed the way that people looked at black in fashion. From the late '90s onwards, pink also featured heavily in the label's aesthetic - the A/W12 collection is a memorable example, which featured bright pink, two dimensional garments that transformed the models into paperdolls! Go check some out now, you retro clothing enthusiast you!

From tent-like silhouettes, to hand-knitted sweaters full of holes, Comme des Garçons aesthetic holds an important place in fashion history for challenging the established notions of beauty, and its legacy as a label continues to inspire some of fashion's greatest talents - including John Galliano, Helmut Lang and Martin Margela.

Comme Des Garçons And Much More Design Vintage Clothing

Alright you lot, you know by now that Rokit are London's leading stockists of genuine vintage clothing. Scoot on over to our online store to pick out your Comme Des Garçons garms and other retro designer charms.

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READ ICON FOCUS: DAVID BOWIE