Next to Virgil Abloh’s ground breaking presentation, and Kim Jones’ debut as the head of Dior, and Yohji Yamamoto’s new Suiting Collection, the COMME des GARÇONS HOMME Plus show was the most notable in Paris this week.
Aptly titled, “Crazy Suits,” Rei Kawabubo’s masterfully executed menswear arrangement rebuked this idea that much of the essence of tailoring is a time honoured tradition with little room for innovation. Rei once again proved that this idea is wrong and ripe for reinvention.
Models paraded out from behind a towering metal fence all wearing rubberized wigs, which in turn did well to remind the audience of that indistinguishable, borderline dystopian aesthetic common to many COMME des GARÇONS shows. Despite sticking very close to the timeless forms of single-breasted blazers and tailored trousers, their materials looked more like something out of Operation Desert Storm than a dining room.
Expressed through a palette of acidic, saturated checks and neon-colored overlays, many of the pieces were heavily cinched to reveal an aesthetic one might expect from wearing something a few sizes too small.
What did you think of Rei’s visionary new take on the art of bespoke traditional tailoring ?
