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Comme Des Garçons à Toronto
Radical and aggressive; am I describing the collection or the shoppers? Who knew polka dots and deconstructed lined could cause such a stir.
This year’s H&M designer collaboration, which featured the daring designs of Comme Des Garçons founder, Rei Kawakubo, was announced and released in 200 select stores worldwide. And just like all of H&M’s previous collaborations, this one was met with its fair share of shock and excitement.
But based on what we all know about Comme Des Garçons, I’m sure you – at some point or another – questioned what was to come.
Even fashion blogs were raving until they saw the collection in its entirety.
On November 8, 2008, our questions were answered when the collection made its debut in the Harajuku district of Tokyo, Japan – 5 days prior to its wide release.
It was a collection that must have caused a few scuffed shoes because the typical Comme Des Garçons feel of androgyny, asymmetry and atypical beauty flowed through the every stitch of every garment. It was simple and busy at the same time. It was frilled and it flounced.
It was Kawakubo at her best.
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this completely slipped past my nose …when was the launch?
a few items were definitely very well made, i was surprised at the quality of the boiled wool pieces that are are so iconic to the cdg brand and universe (I’m still yearning for one of junya’s high collar boiled wool zipper jackets from fw07).
However, fast fashion is fast fashion. Kawakubo at her best? A very bold statement to make for a capsule collection. It was a very mainstream showing of typical CDG fare.
When I saw the videos of the craziness that ensued a little bit of cdg died in my heart knowing that such an mystique and rebellious brand was made available to the masses and to the hypebeasts there buying the shit just to re-sell over ebay.
I did my crazynes online. and am still waiting to see what’ll get.
juliet xxx
I think that everytime an up and coming fashion designer collaborates with h&m it presents the appearance of “selling out” anyhoo, great story regardless shan.
You’re right that it was a very mainstream showing, Wayne, but I guess that’s part of the deal when you are trying to appeal to the masses.
As a stylist, as well, I know that not everyone likes or even understands my editorial photo shoots, so I do commercial work as well — in my opinion, it’s fine for a creator to want to appeal to a wider audience from time to time.
In this case, the collection was tamer than what you see in a CDG show, but this wasn’t a high-fashion show — thus the word “best” implicitly means in a mainstream way.
CDG has been around for ages and has cemented itself in fashion history as one of the initiators of the japanese avant-garde movement. It has an established brand image and fast fashion does not belong in that image.
This capsule collection didnt by any means suck FOR WHAT IT WAS, in fact it was probably the best H&M designer collaboration thus far. Some of the pieces were definitely worth buying for the price. If you want to say it was kawakubo’s best for what it was then sure I’ll take that. However, whether the collection was good for what it was has nothing to do with upholding the integrity behind the brand.
How many of those people who rushed in to grab shit do you think are truly appreciative of kawakubo’s talents? If you are truly appreciative you would most likely stray from buying a CDG H&M piece knowing that fast fashion has devoided the garment of all its essence to make it affordable.
Theres a difference between appealing to the masses and selling out. You can appeal to the masses without selling out. Making designs that everyone loves is not selling out. Making CDG affordable by lowering the standards on the end product is. In the end, you’re just selling a brand name but not any of the substance behind it.
i’m sad i missed the event; i wanted to witness what i think is a very big mistake on CDG’s part. true, they probably have gained a lot of new customers through this collabo with H&M; but I am also sure they will lose a lot of die-hard fans on the way.
truth is a brand loses a lot of its original appeal when they can be acquired at your local mall. it’s sad to see that these well respected brands, once known for their individualistic flavor having to collaborate with something as mainstream as H&M just to make a quick buck.
whats next? raf simons collaborating with american eagle? dior homme and banana republic?
or maybe im just too naturally cynical and protective of labels i truly respect (or used to at least).
/sunday night rant.
Wow.
For the record, H&M’s collaboration designers stand to make very little money from the actual one-off collection.
That said, it’s true that it was a total (albeit well-planned) publicity stunt.
THAT said, yeah, the collection was kind of tired and static. At least we’ll always have Yohji.
hahaha word Chantel, at least we’ll always have Yohji! =)
“For the record, H&M’s collaboration designers stand to make very little money from the actual one-off collection.”
I don’t know how much CDG would be making, but if what you say is true then it confuses me even more as to why CDG felt compelled to collaborate with such a generic label..
Unless CDG is trying to go more mainstream; let the average shopper become aware of the brand but like I mentioned previously, it defeats the point of creating an individualistic brand to begin with.