The avant garde brand: comme des garcons

THE AVANT-GARDE BRAND: COMME DES GARCONS

Comme des Garcons is a Japanese fashion label that was founded by Rei Kawakubo in 1969. It is with no doubt that the fashion industry is one of the most lucrative sectors of every nation’s economy. Comme des Garcons has not only dominated the Japanese fashion and retail sector, but it has attracted the attention of players from the same industry all over the world. The global fashion industry is a multi-billion investment that the like of Kawakubo would not overlook. Comme des Garcons, commonly abbreviated as CDG, targets both mainstream customers all over the world and high-end clients who have a taste of the globe’s most luxurious fabric (Singer, 2018, 1). Fashion is all about being trendy and classy, and Comme des Garcons has all this on their bucket list coupled with a uniqueness that surpasses other fashion labels across the globe.
The term, Comme des Garcons, when translated into English means “like the boys.” The fashion label is a renowned retailer of the avant-garde cloth line which urges designers to step out of their dressing comfort with the sole intention of promoting and advocating for creativity. CDG tends to intertwine the aspects of fashion, art, and commerce purposely to achieve global dominion as a prominent fashion label. For a while now, CDG has been a significant player in the fashion industry with emphasis on designing and producing a wide range of attire, accessories and even body fragrances (Singer, 2018, 1). The fashion is a legit and genuine retailer of high-end luxurious apparels.

Despite the imminent pressure placed on private corporations all over the world, the company has managed to thrive in the ever-growing and competitive fashion industry.
Unlike designers of other fashion labels, Comme des Garcons maintain a high level of uniqueness which at times may be baffling to some people. In fact, the majority of their apparels are neither appealing nor anesthetic to commoners who are new to the fashion industry. CDG’s most attires are made up of foam lumps and a weighty fabric which tends to ensure that there is minimal exposure of the human body (Leaper, 2017, 1). Many designers in the wake of civilization have been emphasizing on designing and producing apparels with too much skin exposure. However, the CDG fashion label goes contrary to what may be referred to as the western view of sexualization in the fashion industry. The dominance and prominence of Comme des Garcons as a renowned global fashion label has proved that fashion is an art which can be used to showcase the rich culture of various societies all over the world.
Some fashion idols tend to limit their creativity to attractiveness, conventionality, and ease but Kawakubo was looking forward to defying all the odds set by the fashion industry when she founded the CDG. Her ability to reimagine and recreate art in the form of clothing is mastery (Leaper, 2017, 1). Many reviewers argue that Kawakubo has outpaced young and vibrant designers to become one of the most prominent designers in the modern world. She has managed to remain at the helm of what she does best by serving the millennials with unique apparels that have maintained a gold standard at all times. Comme des Garcons has been a dominant fashion label for more than a century now, and Kawakubo never learns of fresh ideas and new designs.
Kawakubo has passed the test of postmodernism due to her originality and ability to retain newness. Unlike other designers who will persistently reshuffle the existing designs, Comme des Garcons focuses on creating new, fresh and unique designs. Modern designers focus on what is trendy, but CDG focuses on generated new ideas which can be wedded into apparel through art. The fashion label believes in deconstructing a garment and assembling it afresh to create more complicated clothing (Leaper, 2017, 1). The invention of the 3-D technology has been a significant breakthrough in Kawakubo’s career. She can now use phantom limbs and other extraneous bits to design her apparels. The technology supplements her creative mindset to make her a dominant and celebrated figure in the fashion industry.
The fashion industry has evolved, and Comme des Garcons fashion label is a living example of what lies beforehand. CDG has set the bar so high for future designers who desire to become pacesetters in the fashion industry. The aspect of western female sexualization has been dominant in the fashion industry, and Kawakubo was the long-awaited awakening. Their runway collections are gorgeous and outrageous because they represent art more abstractly. According to the Vogue Magazine, the fashion label has launched the CDG brand of products which includes T-Shirts, bomber jackets, and trainers (Singer, 2018, 1). Each of the apparel has the label of CDG on it as a sign of originality and uniqueness to the original Comme des Garcons brand.
Comme des Garcons’ CEO, Adrian Joffe, who is the husband of Kawakubo, has been a significant and influential figure for the fashion label. According to a recent interview with the Vogue magazine, Joffe hinted that they were aiming to launch the CDG products at the Dover Street Market in Japan by July 2018 (Singer, 2018, 1). In the quest to remain competitive in an ever-evolving business environment, CDG has launched a designer website where designers and customers can interact with each other. Joffe promised that they would roll out the branded CDG products to other parts of the world by October. On average, the fashion label can make annual sales averaging at $300 million. This is a clear sign that the company has been performing quite well recently amidst stiff competition from other designers all over the world.
Despite her unsmiling stares, Kawakubo has been an impeccable designer who has managed to draw the attention of all fashion idols and designers all over the world. Her fashion label, Comme des Garcons, has won Kawakubo an excellent reputation in the global fashion industry (Bain, 2017, 1). CDG has survived a couple of enduring fashion trends which are very popular in the worldwide runways and the streets. Kawakubo’s efforts have resulted to a myriad of stylistic elements which are characterized by embroidered silhouettes, distraught aesthetics, strange proportions, unusual fabrics and creative approach of mixing various colors to create a unique scheme.
Early in 2017, the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York had already dedicated the exhibition which was scheduled to take place during spring purposely for Kawakubo and her elegant design. During the 2017 May Met gala exhibition sponsored by the Vogue Magazine, CDG was one of the feted fashion labels. Kawakubo became the second living designer to be honored by the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art (Bain, 2017, 1). The theme of the exhibition was The Art of the In-Between, and Barbadian artist and singer Rihanna featured. Rihanna wore a Comme des Garcons apparel with pink being the most outstanding color. He hair was tied in a topknot with matching pink lipstick and eyeshadow to form a perfect look. Kawakubo has established CDG stores in most parts of the world, and the most outstanding ones are in London, New York, Beijing, and Singapore. However, CDG collaborates with other designers all over the world when selling its designs.
While ordinary folks may argue that clothes are precisely meant to cover the body, fashion designers such as Kawakubo will have a different perspective on what is the actual purpose of clothes. Many people already have a preconceived misconception on how clothes should be used. At the age of 74, Kawakubo remains to be an iconic figure who is not only admired but also envied by many designers all over the world due to her perplexing designs (Bain, 2017, 1). Kawakubo alongside her husband has managed to dominate the global fashion industry with a couple of design products meant for both men and women. Their designs are abstract, radical and conceptual with the sole intention of designing exemplary creations that defy the social perspective of what is classy and trendy. Additionally, Kawakubo has always desired to elude any attempt of generalizing her work or comparing it with the works of other designers because she still prefers to remain unique.
Due to the unique nature of its fabric, Comme des Garcons’ intention has never been to make clothes. In fact, Kawakubo claims that those who think so are mistaken and do not understand what fashion entails. Kawakubo has persistently resisted responding to some of the questions posed to her because she believes that some will never understand what her preferences are and likes. On one occasion, she claims that she does not want anyone to understand or interpret her design because of the diverging views between various designers and fashion lovers all over the world. Kawakubo claims that she would not be comfortable if someone offers to interpret her works regardless of one’s perspective.
The Comme des Garcons fashion label is considered a work of work that reimagines the contemporary work of art by modifying wearable pieces. Kawakubo prefers working from a set theme where she can have a wide array of outfits to make depending on the Avant-Garde. Instead of thinking about a new trend of apparels, Kawakubo restructures the existing designs to create more complex models. In a nutshell, Kawakubo tries to challenge what the society considers as clothes using an open mind that necessitates innovation and creativity. On one occasion, Kawakubo openly agrees that a feeling of unhappiness inspires her. According to the Japanese, the attitude of a hungry mind is what pushes humankind to go forward, pursue and exploit the unknown till someone finds solace.
The fashion industry has revolutionized and transformed over time to an era where fashion eludes more questions rather than providing solutions to the existing queries. While other designers are looking forward to remaining classy and trendy, Kawakubo, on the other hand, is looking forward to staying unique, iconic and outstanding amongst all other designers all over the world. The founder of Comme des Garcons consider fashion as art which can be manifested in a couple of forms, and she prefers an abstract viewpoint. CDG has set the bar so high for future designers who desire to leave a mark in the fashion industry.
References
Bain, M. (2017). What are “clothes,” anyway? [online] Quartz. Available at: https://qz.com/963629/what-are-clothes-anyway/ [Accessed 30 May 2018].
Leaper, C. (2017). Comme des Garcons advocates on how to wear the avant-garde label in real life. [online] The Telegraph. Available at: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/fashion/style/comme-des-garcons-advocates-wear-avant-garde-label-real-life/ [Accessed 30 May 2018].
Singer, O. (2018). Comme des Garcons Launches New Brand: CDG. [online] Vogue.co.uk. Available at: http://www.vogue.co.uk/article/comme-des-garcons-launch-new-brand-cdg-breaking-news [Accessed 30 May 2018].