Comme des Garçons

Corporate body

Comme des Garçons

1973-

Comme des Garçons was founded in 1973 in Tokyo by designer Rei Kawakubo (b. 1942). The company launched its first menswear line Comme des Garçons Homme in 1978, which Kawakubo designed until 1990 when Keiichi Tanaka (b. 1955) took over. In 2003 Junya Watanabe (b. 1961; see p. 301) became the line’s menswear designer. The company has several other menswear lines, including Comme des Garçons Homme Plus which debuted at Paris Fashion Week in 1984 as the company’s second menswear collection. Tailoring is central to the brand’s design philosophy. Comme Des Garçons Homme Deux was founded in 1987 and is primarily known for its suits, but also for its ties and shirts. The menswear range Comme des Garçons SHIRT debuted in 1988 with a focus on shirts, but quickly expanded to include jackets and trousers. It is primarily manufactured in France. Comme des Garçons Play launched in 2002 and consists of menswear and womenswear. It is a playful diffusion line that features the brand’s iconic heart-shaped logo. Comme des Garçons Black launched in 2008 and features signature menswear and womenswear.
In 2004 Comme des Garçons opened its first Dover Street Market store on Dover Street, in Mayfair, London. In 2016, it relocated to a much larger store on the Haymarket in St James’s, London. Additionally, 2004 was the debut of the first of approximately forty Comme des Garçons ‘guerrilla stores’, which were one-year-only pop-up shops. The company has 200 directly managed stores worldwide. Comme des Garçons have collaborated with numerous other brands including H&M, Louis Vuitton, Dr. Martens, Tretorn, Gucci, Undercover, A Bathing Ape, Hermès, Lewis Leathers, Supreme, Stüssy, Nike, Fred Perry, Visvim, Speedo and Vivienne Westwood.
Source: WWD.