Fashion designer Rei Kawakubo discusses her design philosophy and the founding of her iconic label Comme des Garcons ("like the boys") with The New York Times as part of the label's fortieth anniversary.
"I really felt that I was on my own," Ms. Kawakubo says. "I never felt my work had anything to do with being a woman. I am not a feminist. I was never interested in any movement as such. I just decided to make a company built around creation, and with creation as my sword, I could fight the battles I wanted to fight."
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"It is true to say that I 'design' the company, not just clothes," Ms. Kawakubo says. "Creation does not end with just the clothes. New interesting business ideas, revolutionary retail strategies, unexpected collaborations, nurturing of in-house talent, all are examples of Comme des Garcon's creation."
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"I start every collection with one word," Ms. Kawakubo says. "I can never remember where this one word came from. I never start a collection with some historical, social, cultural or any other concrete reference or memory. After I find the word, I then do not develop it in any logical way. I deliberately avoid any order to the thought process after finding the word and instead think about the opposite of the word, or something different to it, or behind it."
But instinct and feeling still play a large part.
"The technique is intellectual because I am using my brain, but the result is shaped through instinct and emotion," Ms. Kawakubo says.
The first of ten planned "Black" stores opened in Tokyo: Paris is next. The stores aim to introduce "positive energy" during hard times. Other collaborations include a celebration of Vogue Nippon's 10th anniversary. Each of the next six issues of Vogue Nippon will come to life at the Comme des Garcons store in the Aoyama neighborhood. The space is a mix of retail and art gallery where Rei Kawakubo tries out different ideas and projects for size. The first of the Vogue Nippon collaborations is pictured above.
