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Boom boom shake shake the room. Rei Kawakubo chose complete silence in which to present a runway collection that drew surprise and wonderment from the audience of her AW12 show. Nothing but the sound of the models’ wooden clogs on the chip-board runway was heard inside a small hall that was packed with industry insiders. Rei certainly delivered a blast from the leftfield by returning back to basics, her basics that is. Information and images whip around our heads, sometimes the only message that needs clarification is identity. Comme des Garçons is conceptual, kooky, poetic and bold. Today’s collection featured giant, oversized coats, dresses and suits but it felt like a wry send-up was happening of the clipped, overwrought precision that is being applied to coats and winterwear on say, New York runways, these days. As Rei took the cutting patterns of pea-coats, traditional rainmacs or 50s day-coats she released the seams, inflated the components and sent outfits that looked like they were in their premier stages of life down the runway, free to breathe before the neurotic cries for ‘bodycon!’ ‘zips on hips!’ ‘belts, buckles and leather strips!’ were applied by a design team sweating over capturing what’s modern. It was as if Comme Des Garçons was saying, “Why so uptight man? let it all hang out.” A wonderful highlight was the power-of-flowers section where bold flower prints on gimp masks, jumpsuits and dresses were a sight to behold. These pieces are works of art. These pieces are not disposable, fast fashion but collectors items and looks over which fashion students everywhere should pore over to divine Kawakubo’s creative message via this colourful morse code.
Text: Sarah Hay
Photography: Mitchell Sams
Click here to see our AW12 Womenswear coverage in full.
