Founded in 1969 by Rei Kawakubo, Comme des Garçons (French for “like the boys”) rejected beauty from day one. Rei didn’t study fashion—she studied art and literature. That academic distance allowed her to design without rules.
By 1973, CDG was officially launched. Its early collections in Japan were already shaking things up with deconstruction, frayed hems, and oversized silhouettes.
When CDG hit Paris Fashion Week in 1981, the industry didn’t know how to react. Critics labeled it “Hiroshima chic” due to the dystopian, all-black, asymmetrical looks.
But that show redefined everything. It introduced the West to anti-fashion—a movement where imperfections and destruction became the design.
CDG broke gender rules before it was mainstream.
Women in suits. Men in skirts. Nothing made to “enhance curves” or “define masculinity.”
This approach shaped the way brands like Rick Owens, Hood By Air, and even early Yeezy developed their aesthetics.
Comme des Garçons taught us that fashion can be ugly, beautiful, broken, powerful—all at once.
It’s not about trends or aesthetics. It’s about emotion, rebellion, and concept.
Rei Kawakubo didn’t create a brand. She created a movement.
“The only way to remain avant-garde is to never follow anyone—not even yourself.”
- Rei Kawakubo
