PEEK INTO THE SPECIAL MAGAZINE WHICH DOCUMENTS COMME DES GARÇONS’ EVOLUTION AND FEATURES DOVER STREET MARKET, A HIGH-END FASHION RETAIL CONCEPT STORE WHERE A FEW DESIGNERS HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO START THEIR CAREERS
TEXT: PANYAPORN SANPRADIT
PHOTO: KETSIREE WONGWAN
(For Thai, press here)
SWITCH: COMME des GARÇONS 50th Anniversary Issue
SWITCH, 2023
210 x 280 x 30 mm
414 Pages
Softcover
ISBN 978-488-41861-6-6
SWITCH is a Japanese monthly magazine that is well-known in Japan’s cultural and intellectual circles. It provides a forum for discussing and analyzing current topics through a cultural lens. It covers a wide range of topics, including art, design, architecture, technology, music, literature, and social issues. SWITCH occasionally releases special issues devoted to specific themes or topics of interest. These themes go further into topics including art movements, technological breakthroughs, and societal phenomena. Like this one, in celebration of COMME des GARÇONS’ illustrious 50-year journey in the world of fashion, SWITCH published a special issue on the brand’s enduring influence and avant-garde spirit. The issue curates a captivating tribute to COMME des GARÇONS’ legacy and provides a glimpse into the brand’s transformative impact on the fashion landscape over the past five decades.
COMME des GARÇONS, founded by Rei Kawakubo in 1969, has continuously pushed boundaries, breaking conventional fashion norms. This book exhaustively documents the brand’s evolution through a carefully curated selection of images, interviews, and articles. Each page depicts a chapter in COMME des GARÇONS’ story, showing daring designs that question the status quo and encourage reflection on fashion as an art form. There are also furniture designs, shop designs, and a fashion collection from 1981 to 2017. Interviews with Rei Kawakubo and other fashion industry insiders provide essential insights into COMME des GARÇONS’ creative process and ideology, which have shaped it into a global phenomenon.
The book features Dover Street Market, a high-end fashion retail concept conceived by COMME des GARÇONS founder Rei Kawakubo. According to Kawakubo, the original London’s Kensington Market in the 1960s inspired the businesses’ avant-garde approach to retail. DSM is more than simply a store; it’s a concept space that features a carefully curated mix of avant-garde fashion from COMME des GARÇONS and other cutting-edge designers. It is recognized for its distinctive interior design and ever-changing layout.
The DSM store’s interior design is frequently described as unusual and artistic, reflecting Rei Kawakubo’s vision. It comprises several floors, each with its distinct ambiance and product range. Dover Street Market sells a variety of COMME des GARÇONS labels, including the mainline collections, COMME des GARÇONS Homme, COMME des GARÇONS Play, and more. It also includes other designer brands selected for their creativity and artistic worth. The store frequently collaborates with other designers and brands on unique collections and limited-edition pieces, making it a popular destination for fashion lovers and collectors. This book devotes a section to a few now-famous designers who had the opportunity to start their work and careers at DSM.
This edition also has a special section entitled People of the Year, which SWITCH and COMME des GARÇONS have selected. Eight prominent people have been chosen, including Naomi Osaka, the former world number one tennis player, and Kazuyo Sejima, the co-founder of SANAA.
What distinguishes this anniversary edition is its ability to capture the soul of COMME des GARÇONS beyond just garments. It explores issues of gender, identity, and societal critique, representing Kawakubo’s notion of fashion as a vehicle for communicating complicated thoughts and feelings. ‘COMME des GARÇONS 50th Anniversary’ is a must-have for the brand’s fans, historians, and anybody interested in the convergence of art and fashions. It not only commemorates a significant moment in fashion history, but it also inspires future generations of designers and creatives.
For those who are interested, ‘SWITCH: COMME des GARÇONS 50th Anniversary Issue’ is available at the price of 2,045 THB with an additional 30 THB for shipping within Thailand at art4d Facebook inbox / tel. 02-2602606