Haute Concept

T Magazine gives a great piece that delves into the secretive, curious world that is Comme Des Garcons. Cathy Horyn writes about the mastermind Rei Kawakubo and her orchestra of Junya Watanabe, Tao Kurihara and Fumito Ganryu.

Horyn brings a bit of insight to the avant-garde conceptual insanity evoked by the brand and explains how Kawakubo engineers everything through a hands on process that is interestingly hands off when it comes to her proteges.

The piece is essential reading for anyone interested in the cult brand or fashion in general.

Some choice quotes include:

“Kawakubo, working more in the spirit of an artist than any designer today, attacks the problems of consciousness.”

“[Kawakubo] makes her profit so that she can do something new the next season. It’s always about the next project. That’s why I see her as someone who wants to express the world through fashion. She just wants to keep on doing it.”

“For [Kawakubo], separateness and neutrality are indispensable to the creative process. At the same time, she exerts enormous influence over the company, largely through her values.”

“The pressure comes to them [her proteges] because I give it to myself. And it wouldn’t come to them if I didn’t give it to myself. The process of getting there is exactly the same for them — not being satisfied. With Junya, I’m not sure how many times he repeats until he gets the perfect thing. I don’t know about his actual process. I don’t know how angry people get with him or how dissatisfied he gets with himself.”

Read the full article here.

Gang of Four [T Magazine]