>> Rei Kawakubo's Spring 2009 mainline for Comme des Garcons debuts today, but in a remarkable coincidence, so has full Comme des Garcons for H&M lookbook. You can peep the polka dots, baggy shorts, and $350 dress to your heart's content . . . and plan which piece you will grab first on the Nov. 13 drop date.
*image: source
>> When it was announced that Rei Kawakubo would be lending her Comme des Garcons aesthetic to H&M this fall, questions were raised, specifically: Would the avant-garde Comme look be compromised in translation by the mass retailer?
"Certainly we're opposite," Kawakubo told W Magazine of the project. "But . . . this idea of collaborating with designers—that’s something I can identify with."
Based on the until now unseen pictures of the collaboration, the signature Comme deconstructed jackets, dropped-crotch pants, polka dots, and predominantly black palette are all there. But compared to the more mainstream sensibilities of past H&M collaborators — Stella McCartney, Karl Lagerfeld, and Roberto Cavalli, with the exception being Viktor & Rolf — this line is definitely a departure. That's not to say it won't still create a frenzy . . . the crowd may just be a little different than in the past.
*image: source
>> IN PRODUCTION —The first shots of Rei Kawakubo's Comme des Garcons designs for H&M are starting to appear, and the collection is "mostly black and with Japanese tomboy airs." There also seem to be lots of polka dots, but my bets are on this "showpiece" coat-dress (left) to be the sell-out, based on what's showed up so far. [Fashionista, SuperFuture]
Sneak Peek: Louis Vuitton & Comme des Garcons Collaborate for Fall
With everyone from Jessica Simpson to Ashley Tisdale and Uma Thurman adorning their arms with Louis Vuitton’s monogram totes, it’s no wonder the LV logo is so instantly recognizable. But the brand is shaking things up this autumn with a new ultra-exclusive line designed in collaboration with iconic Japanese fashion line Comme des Garcons.
On Our Radar: Louis Vuitton and Comme des Garcons Collaborate
Comme des Garcons are busy making friends this year. We already announced that the Japanese fashion house would be collaborating with H&M for a High Street collection due to be released in November but now they have also revealed plans to work with Louis Vuitton.
»Rei Kawakubo has designed a red, pie-shaped shop concept that will house her Comme des Garcons for H&M collection when it comes out in early November; She also chose Peter Lindbergh to photograph Missy Rayder and others for the campaign [WWD]
»Harper's Bazaar brought a cadre of four staffers to couture, while Kate Lanphear is representing Elle alone [FWD]
»Alice Dellal nabbed a MNG Jeans campaign for Fall [Fashionista]
»Nick Knight has asked the likes of Alexander McQueen, Stella McCartney, Naomi Campbell, and Giles Deacon to spin records live on Showstudio.com over 3 days starting July 9 [WWD]
»Karl Lagerfeld seemed to smile in approval at Kris van Assche's latest outing for Dior Homme yesterday [Guardian UK]
»Natasa Vojnovic has gone blonde (NSFW) [Supreme Being]
»Hye Rim Park did recently get married; Vogue Korea has a photo feature story [TFS]
»LVMH won a counterfeit lawsuit against eBay, so the auction site has to cough up $63.2 million [The Cut]
Years past have brought Karl Lagerfeld, Stella McCartney, Viktor & Rolf, and Roberto Cavalli to H&M, but 2008 is the year of Comme des Garçons.
Although no specific details have been released, head Comme designer Rei Kawakubo is expected to produce men's, women's, and children's collections for the fast-fashion chain, as well as a unisex fragrance. The collection, which will likely incorporate Rei's stark avant-garde aesthetic, has a planned debut in H&M stores worldwide in the beginning of November. This one should be interesting!
Who says models are all beauty and no brains? Okay, I can't vouch for their brains, but I can prove that they have some mad skills. Wearing what looks like a suffocating bag around your face and having to walk down a long runway takes precision. Many models trip, even without such an obstacle, so I give the models who walked the Junya Watanabe Fall '08 show in Paris some respect. It looks like Paris and London, namely the shows of Watanabe, Maison Martin Margiela, Rick Owens, and Gareth Pugh, proved to be the most taxing for the models. Then again, signing on to work with such avant-garde designers, they probably expected a bit (okay, a lot) of craziness. Could you do it?
To see some more freakish runway productions, read more
Things got controversial when I talked about a pair of clogs recently, so I wanted to see what you all thought about these Comme des Garcons Slingback Clogs ($490). They're a little too chunky and sparse for my taste — what about you?
Take all of my Love It or Hate It Polls here! To post your selections go to the Love It or Hate It? group. And if you want to learn how to do a blog post click here.
