Good evening, friends...yea, I know- a night post and two in one day. Crazy, right? I've succumbed to the fact that this week is not one for the gym- sometimes I go through phases where I just can't deal with it and this is such a week, so tonight finds me cruising around and catching up on the news and all of my favorite sites I'm too busy to look at in the daytime these days.
I came across a great piece on style.com, one of my very favorite sources for big fashion news. I devoured an article about Comme Des Garcons, whose designer Rei Kawakubo will receive the International Award from the CFDA next week, a great honor indeed. In this age of self curation/masturbation, there are many out there that feel they understand fashion, because they pin a picture of some fashion icon or put together a look for summer weekends on Polyvore. To all of you out there that think you understand fashion, it may very well be that you have no idea. Because until you study and fully comprehend the tremendous genius of Comme Des Garcons, you're merely living in the fashion equivalent of Anchorage, who was just voted the least fashionable city in America according to Travel & Leisure.
And I'm not at all pretending that I've had many Comme Des Garcons moments in my life- mostly because I can't afford to. But the reality of Rei's clothes are that they are huge risks, and wearing many of her pieces throughout the years are not for the timid, those that say things like "my style is classic with a twist", or those that stick to a basic black wardrobe of adult Garanimals (guilty as charged on that last one).
I remember very clearly as a teenager looking at photos in Vogue of the new look in fashion, which consisted of high concept clothes from Japan- it was Comme Des Garcons, Issey Miyake, and Yohji Yamamoto (still my fav of the trio) that made all of us dizzy and completely changed how many of us saw fashion. And I will never forget that my insanely fashion forward grandmother rocked an Issey Miyake dress to my bat mitzvah- it was grey and was paneled in the front and beyond fabulous- she wore it with an outsized antique cameo and bless her heart if she did not look completely ahead of her time. I think that whole era changed my life, and my take on what it meant to be fashionable. I also clearly remember being the proud owner of a chartreuse pleated heavy silk Comme Des scarf, which I wore in tenth grade as others wore acid washed jeans and oversized sweatshirts. I wore this scarf with my vintage black biker jacket and enormous hoop earrings- was fabulous then and wish I still had that lovely scarf. It was as close to Comme Des as I could get back then, and when I first checked out CDG's designs in the early 80s- the look was all black, deconstructed, and in charming disarray. I was instantly in love.
In recent years, I've had a real passion for all of the Comme Des Garcons fragrances- the Number 2 Man scent is a guaranteed panty dropper if you ask me- any dude who wears this is going to smell amazing- notes of vetiver, white smoke, and incense make this fragrance scented with virility. I love love love this scent for the boys.
But back to the most importan thing about Rei and Comme Des Garcons- the clothes. Oh, those clothes. These are pieces for people with indelible confidence, who can make the wildest shit look absolutely graceful, and whose presence is meant to be felt, in seismic ways. These are clothes for innovators, visionaries, creative wunderkinds. The shapes are transcendent, the silhouettes architectural works of art, and the riot of cut and color and pattern are for those that like to be seen, and heard, and everything in between. Sure they have largely departed from the murky numbers of my youth, but their brilliance has only grown larger, their independence completely over the top. How could you not love a collection entitled "Lumps and Bumps" which was just that- a collection of looks in 1997 that turned fashion on its slim little ear- these clothes were a revelation, a call to arms for us to rethink the way we saw a woman's shape and played with us in terms of what it meant to be a "perfect" size. Not for the faint of fashion I know, but amazing nonetheless.
Regardless of whether I will be going full Comme Des or not in my life, my respect for Ms. Kawakubo knows no bounds- her cool bobbed countenance got me through high school, at a time when I knew true fashion had nothing to do with following what everybody else was wearing- it was about fervently marching to one's own beat, and being ahead of the pack- way, way ahead.
Her looks are challenging, forthright, and nothing short of genius. I have always been a huge fan, and always will be. In the sea of conformity in which we live, I am very glad there are people out there who wouldn't be caught dead in Lululemon leggings on a Saturday afternoon. I do so love the mad ones, and Rei Kawakubo is that roman candle burning bright, permanently etched onto the fashion horizon for all to see and adore. By now you may think I've taken too much peyote that I could admire such fauvist fashion, but wow, I just love me some Comme Des Garcons and if you are truly to know fashion, you must know Rei and her ability to show us what true creativity is all about. Without her, there would be no Prada, no Marni, and moreover, no fun. I love the below look on Taylor Tomasi Hill- it's not all Comme Des but those diaper pants are fantastic (yes, men, we know you hate them but whatevs) and I would so rock this look any day- it's timeless in its own way and cooler than any "safe" piece you may hide under. What fun is that really?
If you are a fan of design of any kind, go check out a Comme Des Garcons store or scent or piece of clothing- you won't be disappointed by the amazing ability to stir the senses. Just wanted to share that today because I do love this designer, and the older I get, the more I appreciate those still wiling to take some much needed risks in today's sheep laden world. Cause that's what's up this like some boys kind of Tuesday night in New York City. Go take a risk- and make it chic. In a quote on the Daily Beast, Ms. Kawakubo said of her iconic line, " Comme Des Garcons can never, by its nature, appeal to everyone. It would be the end of CDG if it ever did"- and those are words to live by, when it comes to dress and otherwise- screw everyone else and just be yourself. XO