Mood board: Solemn as a mass funeral and yet as intriguing as any complex work of contemporary art, Rei Kawakubo sent out another fashion collection that took root around her preferred themes of exaggerated volumes as well as fabrics that had been twisted, tied and inflated to look like bulbous forms. The human body, including protruding heads and scarecrow legs, were but mere after-thoughts to the larger mental exercise of recasting fashion norms.
Best in show: As usual, there was much to marvel at here. Kawakubo played with ruffles, ornate pleating and oversized ribbon lacings that took their cues from fairytales or the Victorian age. But the best work centered around her use of feathers, including piles of brown and white coq plumes that were built up to look like beautiful bird nests and the huge velvet casings that looked like tree trunks cinched with leaf-like feathers.
Finishing touches: In the world of Comme des Garçons, the models’ hair is treated with as much artistry as the clothes. This season Kawakubo made the case for blood red cotton candy hair sliced into wedges along with a few feathered head dresses that swallowed the model’s heads completely, save for a couple of handy eye slits.
INFORMATION
Photography: Jason Lloyd-Evans
-
Christmas gift ideas for design loversWallpaper* global design director Hugo Macdonald compiles his festive wish list – from Poltrona Frau's luxurious dog leads to Carl Aubock's wicker magazine wall rack
-
‘I want to push it forward’: Dries Van Noten’s new creative director is Julian KlausnerA member of the Dries Van Noten design team since 2018, Belgian designer Julian Klausner has been promoted to creative director after the namesake founder’s exit from his eponymous label earlier this year
-
Inside Dior’s ‘Gold House’ in Bangkok, a spectacular celebration of Thai art and craftDaven Wu takes a trip to Bangkok to discover ‘Gold House’, a gilded new concept store from Dior which is rooted in both Parisian savoir-faire and artisanal Thai craft, featuring a café, gardens and showstopping gilded facade
-
Palace unites with Rapha to celebrate inaugural Tour de France FemmesMarking the first time women will compete in the historic cycling race since the late 1980s, this new collaboration sees Palace Skateboards and Rapha create uniforms for both on and off the bike – including an ‘outlandish’ pair of Crocs
-
Paris Fashion Week A/W 2022: Chanel to Miu MiuIn this extended report, Wallpaper* updates you live from Paris Fashion Week A/W 2022 shows, with rolling coverage as runway events unfold
-
Scene-stealing runway sets from S/S 2022 womenswear showsFrom giant roulette wheels to Olympic diving boards and multi-city synchronized extravaganzas – our pick of the best fashion show sets from S/S 2022 womenswear
-
Louis Vuitton A/W 2020 Paris Fashion Week Women's -
Chanel A/W 2020 Paris Fashion Week Women’s -
Y/Project A/W 2020 Paris Fashion Week Women's -
Sacai A/W 2020 Paris Fashion Week Women's -
Alexander McQueen A/W 2020 Paris Fashion Week Women’s
