Comme des Garçons: History, Sub-Labels and Sneaker Collabs - Comme des Garçons, Comme des Garçons (a mouthful frequently shortened to CdG,
CdG) is Kawakubo’s personal universe. The 1990s label reflects the designer’s distinctive style — viz. classic monochrome pieces reimagined using
asymmetric cuts and intricate detailing — so much so, it’s rumored to be the label she wears most often.Designer Rei Kawakubo’s umbrella of Comme
des Garçons brands is often referred to as the CdG universe. However, we’ve recently concluded – after re-watching one of our favorite superhero
flicks – the term ‘multiverse’ is a much more fitting way to describe the labyrinthine fashion house and its manifold sub-labels.Each label within the
Comme multiverse offers its own reality of the Japanese brand, shaping Kawakubo’s radical spirit in new and experimental ways; from the bourgeois
narrative at play over at Comme des Garçons Homme Deux, to the logo-centric world of CDG.So, to unravel it all, we’ve created a roadmap to direct
you through the brand’s history, its many labels, and its most desirable collaborations.hat does Comme des Garçons mean?As you will know — or at
least have guessed — Comme des Garçons is a French term. Translated, the brand means “like boys”: a name inspired by Françoise Hardy’s 1962
track “Tous les garçons et les filles” (All the boys and the girls).
Who’s the founder of Comme des Garçons?Rei Kawakubo is the trailblazing founder and designer of Comme des Garçons, and one of the most powerful
women in fashion history. Born in Tokyo in 1942, Kawakubo studied Fine Arts and Literature at Keio University before starting her career in advertising
(at a textiles company), and then later as a freelance stylist.When did Comme des Garçons begin?Kawakubo started designing clothes under the brand
name Comme des Garçons in 1969, before officially establishing the company in 1971. To this day, the prolific designer oversees everything the brand
produces. When did Comme des Garçons become so popular?From inception, Comme des Garçons proved popular with members of the beau monde, but it
wasn’t until the late 1970s that the brand became a household name. Ever since, CdG has remained at the forefront of fashion and popular with people
from all backgrounds – hence the multitude of sub-labels. When was Comme des Garçons’ first fashion show? Comme des Garçons debut runway show took
place at Paris Fashion Week in 1981. Amazingly, Kawakubo’s first show wasn’t well received. In fact, critics went so far as to insult the Japanese designer’s
first collection, especially for its “overuse of black”. Comme des Garçons Launch Date: 1969 (officially 1971). Comme des Garçons is – and always has been –
disruptive, thought-provoking fashion with an avant-garde sensibility at its core. Kawakubo has channeled her norm-breaking ideologies into the brand since
the 1970s, challenging perspectives of the industry (and beyond) using exaggerated silhouettes, clashing prints and conceptual, architectural aesthetics as
her tools. Ergo, it’s fair to say the world of fashion would be a lot less groundbreaking without her.
Comme des Garçons Homme Launch Date: 1978- To the delight of the sophisticated dandies of the 1970s, Kawakubo announced (circa 1978) that her first
CdG diffusion line would focus on menswear – and be aptly titled Comme des Garçons Homme. The result was an inspiring collection of easy-to-wear pieces
that offered dapper men a soft, conservative introduction to the mind of Kawakubo. Today, the designer’s protegé Junya Watanabe collaborates with
her on the sub-label, producing collections that are an orthodox take on the Comme des Garçons discourse. Comme des Garçons Homme Plus - Launch
Date: 1984. In the CdG multiverse, Comme des Garçons Homme Plus is the gender-opposite parallel to Kawakubo’s wacky OG brand. A direct translation
of the designer’s idiosyncratic vision from womenswear to menswear, Homme Plus offers deconstructed, outlandish fashion for the debonair peacocks of
the world.
Comme des Garçons Homme Deux - Launch Date: 1987. Comme des Garçons Homme Deux is the preppy realization of Kawakubo’s Comme des Garçons;
a label chiefly concerned with an old-school uniform of bourgeois blazers, schoolboy ties and structured trousers – crafted using traditional Japanese
techniques.Its timeless appeal is a credit to Kawakubo’s multifaceted mind who reigns in her CdG fantasies for Deux to create sharp,streamlined designs.
Comme des Garçons SHIRT - Launch Date: 1988. Comme des Garçons SHIRT’s primary focus is on upgrading the staple items of a man’s wardrobe –
including, unsurprisingly, the work shirt. Since 1988, Kawakubo has used her rebellious ideas to revitalize dull essentials for the style-savvy, creating
one of the most popular brands in the CdG multiverse in the process.Comme des Garçons, Comme des Garçons - Launch Date: 1993. Comme des Garçons,
Comme des Garçons (a mouthful frequently shortened to CdG, CdG) is Kawakubo’s personal universe. The 1990s label reflects the designer’s distinctive
style — viz. classic monochrome pieces reimagined using asymmetric cuts and intricate detailing — so much so, it’s rumored to be the label she wears
most often.Junya Watanabe Comme des Garçons Man - Launch Date: 2001 - Junya Watanabe expanded his offering to menswear in the early 2000s, after his
womenswear label proved a critical and commercial success. And, as one may expect with this being CdG, a separate label was set up, named Junya Watanabe
Comme des Garçons Man. Just like its womenswear counterpart, the progressive label is heavily reliant on patchwork techniques, tartans and the deconstruction
of everyday silhouettes. Play Comme des Garçons - Launch Date: 2002 - Led by its iconic heart motif, Play CdG is the ubiquitous Kawakubo brand that’s just as
famous as her original label. In this reality of Comme des Garçons, streetwear is the primary language. Basic items – such as short-sleeve and long-sleeve tees,
zip-up and overhead hoodies, plus cardigans and sweatshirts – are created using high-quality cotton and adorned with the instantly recognizable logo designed
by Filip Pagowski.
Comme des Garçons BLACK - Launch Date: 2008. Only Rei Kawakubo would be plucky enough to set up a new sub-label in a time of economic crisis,
which is exactly what she did back in 2008. Focusing on a sneaker-like strategy, Comme des Garçons BLACK is a hypebeast’s CdG that creates hard-
to-cop leisurewear pieces, predominantly fashioned in black and white (hence the title).Comme des Garçons Girl - Launch Date: 2015 - Comme des
Garçons Girl is, as suggested by its name, Kawakubo’s uber-feminine take on the Comme des Garçons mindset. It’s an exploration of the sweet and
flirty Comme des Garçons consumer: a woman who may romanticize her reality, but is still eccentric enough to relate to Kawakubo's approach to style.
CDG - Launch Date: 2018 - Bold, sleek and youthful; CDG is a direct-to-consumer vehicle with logo-centric styles, and since the beginning, the label
has relied on organic marketing to gain a cult-like following. If you’re wondering if Comme des Garçons’ youngest offering is as successful as its
counterparts: let’s just say we haven’t attended a fashion week since 2018 without seeing at least one socialite wearing a piece from the collection.
Comme des Garçons PLAY x Converse - Fact: there’s no cooler Converse than the Comme des Garçons PLAY x Converse collaboration. The coveted
Chuck Taylors are a premium take on the classic silhouette that reminds us all to have fun with fashion – especially with footwear. Comme des Garçons
SHIRT x Supreme x Vans - Aforementioned, Commes des Garçons SHIRT puts the focus on fundamental menswear items, which is why a collaboration
with Vans makes total sense. In partnership with Supreme, CdG has been freshening-up the brand’s range of footwear with quintessential shirt prints
and Supreme’s ‘BOGO’ since the early 2010s.Comme des Garçons x Nike - When two sartorial powerhouses come together, the result is either
trendsetting or forgettable. Fortunately, in the case of Comme des Garçons and Nike, it’s the former. From the jewel-festooned Nike Shox sneakers
to the luminous pink Nike Air 180 pack; each silhouette is just as sought-after as the next. Which has us wondering: what’s next? After decades of
speculation and refusal to comment, the truth behind one of fashion's longest standing mysteries is revealed
Rei Kawakubo, founding mother and chief designer of COMME des GARÇONS, shrouds herself in mystery. It's a cloak, to be worn much like one of her
own avant-garde creations. One that inspires intrigue, even if you’re not quite sure you entirely "get it." Notoriously press-shy, the Japanese designer
has, more often than not in her 36-year career, let her abstract designs speak for themselves. Her collections present complex narratives and commentaries
far beyond what her husband, translator and business partner, Adrian Joffe, could hope to articulate in an allotted interview hour. In part, that is what
makes COMME des GARÇONS so special: it is unrepentantly aloof, and yet simultaneously alluring.Founded back in 1969, both Kawakubo’s designs and
business acumen have redefined how we perceive contemporary fashion. The blurring of gender norms was a trait that appeared in CdG collections long
before androgynous fashion became the zeitgeist. Similarly, COMME's series of Guerrilla Stores – which ran from 2004 until 2008, starting in Berlin and
ending in Glasgow – was arguably the catalyst behind the now-ubiquitous "pop-up store" concept. Today, the company is worth in excess of $200 million,
all achieved while retaining a creative integrity and zeal that's perhaps unsurpassed in the current corporate landscape.
But how did this Japanese creative juggernaut come to have such a French-sounding name? It was not, as some commentators have suggested, playing off
preconceptions about snooty Parisian couture, hoping to glean a semblance of gravitas by virtue of association. Anyone who has given Kawakubo’s work even
a cursory glance can see it is utterly rooted in originality and has zero interest in hanging off the coattails of others. No, in actual fact the name is borrowed
from a song recorded seven years prior to COMME’s inception, written by French recording artist Francoise Hardy.
The title of the song, "Tous les garçons et les filles," translates directly to "All the boys and girls," and appeared on Hardy’s untitled debut EP. This melancholic
tale of a woman who has never managed to find love, yet constantly finds herself surrounded by amorous couples, includes the line, “Comme les garçons et les
filles de mon âge,” which fashion-fans of a certain age have long-suspected was the genesis of the brand’s name. "Tous les garçons et les filles" went on to sell
500,000 copies in France that year, before later being re-recorded in English, Italian and German for the benefit of international audiences. 19 years later,
Kawakubo would exhibit her first ever COMME des GARÇONS collection in Paris, little over 10 miles from where the song was penned.
We reached out to COMME des GARÇONS asking if they could confirm whether it was, in fact, Hardy’s 1960s hit that inspired the brand’s name.
The very same morning, the label’s press office confirmed, via their CEO Adrian Joffe, that it was indeed true. And, just like that, a mystery that
has lain unconfirmed for decades was dispelled once and for all, adding yet another charming eccentricity to this most resoundingly individual imprint.
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