The Collecting Comme exhibition at NGV in Melbourne is the culmination of a loving gift from Takamasa Takahashi, who feels strongly motivated to teach the next generation of fashion designers by showing them real examples of the genius of Rei Kawakubo, as well as Junya Watanabe and Tao Kurihara.
Takahashi has also drawn from his personal archive for the exhibit, which displays over 65 pieces, making it the largest Australian tribute to Comme des Garçons in history.
Collecting Comme highlights key collections and recurrent themes in Rei Kawakubo’s work (groundbreaking, challenging, cute, ripped, ruched, utterly sideways, pretty, riotous, punk), and is presented in a really industrial, deliberate no frills fashion that speaks to my aesthetic appreciation for things that are not pristine and polished.
Collecting Comme is on show until July 2020 at NGV International. Entry is free.
The Garb Wire 