Comme des Garçons is one of the world’s most innovative and trailblazing fashion brands, helmed by its inimitable founder, Japanese designer Rei Kawakubo (b. 1942), who has a penchant for breaking fashion and cultural norms. The only living designer apart from Yves Saint Laurent to have a retrospective at the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute, Kawakubo has permanently changed fashion with designs that challenge traditional ideas of beauty with a creative and transgressive exuberance.
After studying art and literature at Keio University in Tokyo, Kawakubo worked as a freelance stylist before establishing her own label in 1969. Comme des Garçons — which is also known as CDG — officially launched in 1973, and Kawakubo opened her first store in Tokyo three years later. She has since been instrumental in pioneering many concepts now familiar in contemporary fashion.
One of Kawakubo's most iconic moves was her introduction of androgynous styles (Comme des Garçons means “like the boys” in French) with asymmetrical, twisted silhouettes that envelope the body. While she told the New York Times that the “basics of clothing lie in men’s fashion,” Kawakubo believes in the concept of humanness in clothes (she titled her spring 1995 show “Transcending Gender”).
In the 1970s, when color-blocking was the norm, Kawakubo stuck to her monochromatic color palette dominated by shades of black with uncompromising dedication, although with evocative and powerful use of red and white.
Comme des Garçons is also known for an often shocking take on fashion. Deconstructed tailoring, violently slashed fabric and sculptural shapes are some themes that run through the brand’s collections, but Kawakubo never explains the meaning of her conceptual pieces, which fall somewhere between art and fashion.
Designer Junya Watanabe, who worked alongside Kawakubo for nearly a decade, operates an atelier based within the Tokyo headquarters of Comme des Garçons, and he established a line under Kawakubo's label in the early 1990s. Since then, even though the brand has launched additional lines and more commercial offshoots like PLAY, known by the iconic heart motif with eyes, the premier men’s line Homme Plus and the multilabel Dover Street Market that opened in 2004, the essence of Comme des Garçons remains Kawakubo’s otherworldly and undefinable creations, which are impossible to ignore.
Find vintage Comme des Garçons shirts, jackets, day dresses and other clothing on 1stDibs.
John Galliano Pistachio Green Embroidered Silk Dress, S/S 2005
By John Galliano
Located in Paris, FR
Designed by John Galliano for his Spring/Summer 2005 collection, this pistachio green silk tulle dress embodies the dreamlike femininity that defined ...
Rare Chanel Haute Couture F/W 1995 Green Bianchini Silk Lesage Beaded Dress
By Chanel, Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel
Located in Jersey City, NJ
A rare Chanel Haute Couture dress from Karl Lagerfeld’s Autumn/Winter 1995–1996 collection - an extraordinary piece of 1990s couture history. Worn on the runway by Trish Goff, this luminous chartreuse Bianchini silk chiffon dress is entirely hand-embroidered by Maison Lesage in vertical cascades of silver bugle beads. The empire-line cut with wide straps highlights the décolleté, while the layered chiffon construction gives the dress fluid movement and lightness. Accompanied by its original matching silk tulle stole with beaded ends, this ensemble offers versatility: the stole may be worn draped as a shawl or styled as a veil, making the dress an exquisite option for a modern bride seeking a couture alternative to tradition. The creation of this dress required over 450 hours of craftsmanship - 200 hours of atelier work and 250 hours of embroidery by Lesage. Provenance: The Mouna Ayoub...
Chloe by Phoebe Philo S/S 2005 Halterneck Dress w/ Crystals in Green Silk
By Phoebe Philo, Chloé
Located in London, GB
CHLOE BY PHOEBE PHILO S/S 2005 GREEN SILK SATIN DRESS 44 FR NEW WITH TAGS From the Spring / Summer 2005 Collection this gathered silk dress is one...
2006 Junya Watanabe Comme des Garcons black Sleeveless Lace Patchwork Dress
By Junya Watanabe
Located in San Fransisco, CA
Black cotton and floral lace dress from Junya Watanabe's 2006 collection. The dress is constructed from a mix of opaque cotton panels and sheer lace, creating a patchwork effect that...
Comme des Garcons khaki green cotton waistcoat with large braids, S / S 2003
By Comme des Garçons
Located in London, GB
- Raw frayed edges throughout - Two large cotton and satin ribbon braids, used as a closure or decorative feature Spring-Summer 2003
John Galliano S/S 2003 "Indian Summer" Green Lotus Jersey Tiered Ruffles Dress
By John Galliano
Located in Paris, FR
Unreleased sample dress from John Galliano’s Spring/Summer 2003 collection, featuring the same printed viscose jersey used in the runway look. This print appeared prominently on the ...
Junya Watanabe F/W 2006 Olive Tiered Military Khaki One-Shoulder Maxi Dress
By Junya Watanabe
Located in Paris, FR
Excellent condition Size Medium Total Length : 120cm
John Galliano bottle green bias-cut crêpe evening dress, fw 1988
By John Galliano
Located in London, GB
▪ John Galliano bias-cut evening dress ▪ 'Hairclips' Fall-Winter 1988; ▪ One of Galliano's first bias-cut evening dresses which would later become a recurrent theme throughout his c...
Marc Jacobs Spring 2012 Green and Silver Embellished Net Dress
By Marc Jacobs
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Fashion History: This embellished cocktail dress is from Marc Jacobs' Spring 2012 collection, a season that drew inspiration from the glamour and opulence of the Jazz Age while rein...
2000S JOHN GALLIANO CHRISTIAN DIOR Olive Green Silk Chiffon One Shoulder Dress
By John Galliano
Located in New York, NY
Beautifully made with an internal corset to keep the shape of the dress. Some damage due to young rich girls who's mother's taught them no sense of decorum. ...
Prada Green Black Chain Inset Printed Shift Dress, Resort 2009
By Prada
Located in Boca Raton, FL
A slight departure from their usual style, the Resort 2009 Prada collection toned down the crisp, tailored feel and presented softer volumes with a coy edginess. Neutral tones and an...
Balenciaga Emerald Green Crochet Dress, 2017
By Balenciaga
Located in Boca Raton, FL
The House of Balenciaga has had a commitment to maintaining a subtle sense of traditionalism in its aesthetic. Upon arriving at the house, creative director Denma Gvasalia revitalize...
Mary McFadden Couture Green Pleated Sculpted Short Sleeve Dress, 1980s
By Mary McFadden, Marry Mcfadden
Located in Boca Raton, FL
Mary McFadden couture green fortuny pleat dress. The dress is lined throughout the bodice in a green silky feeling fabric, the sleeves are lined in...
Chloe Karl Lagerfeld Cubist Green Silk Print Sleeveless Dress, 1970s
By Chloé
Located in Boca Raton, FL
The house of Chloé has undergone various aesthetic transformations throughout the decades. Typically associated with classic silhouettes and soft, muted colors, the house departed fr...
Sybil Connolly Couture Green Pleated Linen Maxi Dress, 1960s
By Sybil Connolly
Located in Boca Raton, FL
Known as the Dior of Dublin, couturier Sybil Connolly is revered for her high caliber designs and artisanal technique. A raving success since her first fashion show in 1953 which lan...
Rodarte 2011 Runway Embroidered Tulle Wood Dress
By Rodarte
Located in Boca Raton, FL
Creating beautiful clothes that channel a certain fantastic dreaminess has long been Rodarte’s calling card. Rodarte’s designs are held in permanent collections at world-class museum...
The standout look, from a collection that left fashion critics breathless, has us mesmerized.
Impeccably tailored and beautifully preserved, the piece will be cherished by a true fashion-phile.
