Rei Kawakubo
WHO IS REI KAWAKUBO?
The iconic, famously elusive Japanese designer Rei Kawakubo has been shaking the foundations of fashion since 1969, challenging the industry with her avant garde vision and abstract designs turning clothing into fine art. She is the founder and creative director of cult declared COMME des GARÇONS, one of the most influential fashion houses in the world, and she the founder of Dover Street Market (together with husband Adrian Joffe).
Often referred to as the COMME des GARÇONS universe, Kawakubo has created an arsenal of diffusion lines, sub-labels and collaborations that come under the CdG umbrella, including PLAY, Noir, Homme Plus, Homme Plus Sport, SHIRT, Tricot and more. COMME des GARÇONS is also something of a staple in streetwear circuits, counting a long list of collaborators, including Nike, Converse, Vans, Supreme and Levi’s.
Kawakubo is the second living designer to exhibit at the Met Gala in 2017, an honour of immeasurable proportions. The designer before her was Yves Saint Laurent back in 1983.
1942
On October 11, 1942, Rei Kawakubo (川久保 玲, Kawakubo Rei) is born in Tokyo, Japan.
1969
Kawakubo establishes her own company, Comme des Garçons in Tokyo.
1975-1978
Kawakubo opens her first boutique in Tokyo, Japan.
She starts out with women's clothing and then adds a men's line in 1978.
1982
Kawakubo starts presenting her fashion lines in Paris and opens a boutique there in 1982.
2008
Kawakubo collaborates with H&M, bringing her avant-garde aesthetic to a broader audience
2017
The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute in New York City holds an exhibition dedicated to Rei Kawakubo and Comme des Garçons, marking only the second living designer (after Yves Saint Laurent) to be honored with a solo show.
2020
Rei Kawakubo announces that Comme des Garçons will not participate in Paris Fashion Week, opting to release photo books instead of presenting a traditional runway show.
