Following successful collaborations with Karl Lagerfeld (2004), Stella McCartney (2005), Viktor & Rolf (2006) and Roberto Cavalli (2007), H&M look set to top them all with their latest creative partnership, with Commes des Garçons. Rei Kawakubo, one of the most significant figures in modern fashion and one of lifeiscarbon®’s favorite designers, has created two full collections, one for men and one for women collection, complete with accessories and a unisex fragrance.
The new women’s collection includes jackets and skirts that play with deconstruction, with incredible seam patterns, and some classic Comme des Garçons style boiled wool and gabardine pieces. There’s a perfect trench coat, beautifully cut shirts and jersey pieces bedecked in the signature Comme des Garçons’ polka dot. Accessories for women include polka dot weekend bags, canvas shoes, canvas and a new version of Comme des Garçons’ celebrated wallets. For men, suits and shirts have been cut on the bias, while other shirts use the typical Comme des Garçons’ patchwork technique. There are classics like a double-breasted belted trench coat and a boiled wool pea coat, together with less formal pieces such as hand-drawn polka dot shirts and t-shirts and accessories including a hat, scarf and canvas shoes.
Those of our readers based in Tokyo will get to see the new collection at H&M’s impressive new Ginza store on November 8th, as for the rest of us, we’ll have to wait until November 13th when the range hits 200 selected stores around the world. In the meantime, take a look below to see a selection of images from the lookbook and read more about Commes des Garçons:
“I thought it would be an exciting event to work with H&M in order to sell Comme des Garçons clothes in places where they have never been sold and to appeal to people who may not yet understand Comme des Garçons. Marrying the commercial expertise of H&M with Comme des Garçons creation was a fascinating challenge" says Rei Kawakubo.
“This collection really reflects Kawakubo’s creative spirit and integrity. It is complete with the designer’s trademark, independent style and clever cuts - elaborate tailoring, shirts, knits and a series of playful jersey pieces in dramatic black and midnight blue with accents of white and rose”, explained H&M’s Creative Advisor Margareta van den Bosch.
Comme des Garçons was started in Tokyo by Rei Kawakubo in 1969 and established as a company in Japan in 1973. Comme des Garçons became successful in Japan throughout the 1970s and a men's line was added in 1978. 1981 saw Comme des Garçons's debut show in Paris which created a storm of controversy for its predominant use of black and distressed fabrics. Throughout the 1980s, Comme des Garçons's clothes were often monochromatic, asymmetrical and draped over the body. Tears, holes and frayed edges were also a feature. Comme des Garçons (along with Yohji Yamamoto and Issey Miyake) attacked established notions that clothing had to be sexy, colorful and beautiful.
Comme des Garçons has a dozen boutiques and approximately 200 vendors around the world, with flagship stores in Aoyama, Tokyo's high fashion district, as well as Place Vendôme in Paris. Their collections are designed in the Comme des Garçons studio in Aoyama, Tokyo and are made in Japan, France and Turkey. Junya Watanabe and, as of recently, Tao Kurihara have started their own sub-labels to much acclaim. Both were also involved in designing for the casual women's knitwear line 'Comme des Garçons Tricot' and have collaborated with various other labels over the years including Fred Perry, Levi's, Speedo, Nike, Moncler, Lacoste, Cutler and Gross, Chrome Hearts, S. N. S. Herning, Hammerthor, Louis Vuitton and of course H&M.
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