COMME DES GARCONS HOMME PLUS FALL WINTER 2017/18 COLLECTION PARIS
By Crash redaction
BACK IN BOYHOOD WITH REI KAWAKUBO FOR COMME DES GARCONS HOMME PLUS FALL 2017 COLLECTION
On those gloomy days, Rei Kawakubo invites us awaken our inner child. For COMME des GARCONS HOMME PLUS Fall 2017/18, Rei Kawakubo wanted to conjure up memories of boyhood: that feeling of nostalgia for a past made of innocence and joy.
The collection takes us on a gentle journey back to our childhood memories. Silicone molds representing dinosaurs and small cars leaned up against traditional jackets, set atop Nike Air Force Ones in true COMME des GARCONS style. These are the same flexible and elastic molds we once liked to twist in every direction while making cakes. Accentuating the sense of infantilization was the fact that models walked bare-chested under their jackets: their navels visible, evoking an indelible trace of our childhood.
Also evoking early life, the collection was much more colorful than usual. Shiny jackets meet glitter plaid and a colored camo designed by Candida Alvarez. Colors such as cyan, yellow, and pink create a contrast with the classic black wool suiting of COMME DES GARCONS. These colors are found as much in the silicone molds as on the models’ headdresses – created by Julien d’Ys – which further infantilized their faces.
Faced with the saturation of sportswear and down jackets during this fashion week, Rei Kawakubo embarked on a new and unexpected avenue in a show that felt far more joyful than usual. Nevertheless, one still feels a vibe of nostalgia and a more sensitive brand of masculine fashion, as was also seen in Ann Demeulemeester, Maison Margiela, Berluti, and Juun.J.
Photos © Elise Toidé for Crash Magazine
Written by Lisa Tomasi
