(Photo Credit: Elle)
Comme des Garçons -コム・デ・ギャルソン – is a Japanese fashion label founded in 1973, directed by Rei Kawakubo, and the sole focus of the upcoming Met Gala 2017. The annual gala is, undoubtedly, one of fashion’s most awaited events; it is attended not only by fashion designers and models but also celebrities, actors, musicians… and to make this year’s event even more memorable, Kawakubo will be the first living designer to be made the subject of the exhibition since the Met’s Yves Saint Laurent exhibition in 1983.
(Photo Credit: http://www.comme-des-garcons.com)
Rei Kawakubo’s designs are personal, enigmatic and unconventional; she is known within the fashion industry for her avant-garde creations. The designer started creating clothes in 1969, as she could never find enough clothes she liked, and started her own business and label shortly after. From the very beginning she took an unconventional approach to fashion: the first Comme des Garçons shop did not have any mirrors inside, as Kawakubo wanted her clients to buy the clothes because of how they make them feel instead of how they looked on them.
(Photo Credit: http://www.comme-des-garcons.com)
Rei will be the protagonist of the 2017 Met Gala, sharing a chair with Anne Wintour, co-chairwoman of the annual Costume Institute gala and a trustee of the museum, Pharrel Williams and Katy Perry acting as co-chairs. The celebrity sphere is a big fan of Rei’s brand, invluding Rihanna who has previously sat front row at Comme Des Garcons’ fashion shows.
(Picture Credit: Hello Magazine)
‘We are in a period where fashion, and designers, are increasingly regarded as disposable’ Andrew Bolton, curator in charge of the Costume Institute, said in a statement. ‘I wanted to focus on someone who has been singularly dedicated to a creative vision, to remind everyone of how valuable that is.’
The exhibition will feature 100 to 120 randomly selected pieces from the Comme des Garçons’ achieve, from 1981, (the year Rei presented her first collection in Paris), to now and will be available from the 4th of May at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
I cannot wait to see what everyone is wearing! Save the date, 1st of May 2017!
You can check an exclusive interview with Kawakubo here!