The digital Paris shows may be behind us, but Rei Kawakubo has never been one to play by the rules, has she? Instead of presenting her latest Comme Des Garçons Homme Plus collection in a digital format, the designer staged a socially distanced catwalk inside the brand’s Tokyo headquarters. Before entering the building, all guests had their temperatures tested. Once inside, the small audience – who each wore masks – were seated far from one another. A look to what the September shows may look like? Maybe so. Whilst fashion’s socially-distanced future may seem quite dystopian at times, Kawakubo produced a collection that felt like it could live on another planet entirely. Inspired by the metallic materials she often uses in her interior designs, Kawakubo produced a slew of looks that captured a vision of what life on Mars might have looked like, to a person living in the 1970s/80s.
Shiny blazers withs skewiff hemlines walked alongside dresses that looked as if they could be made from tinfoil. Each model sported a hairdo that appeared as if it was just zapped by a UFO; towered high and practically electric. More traditionally Comme pieces – school-boy shorts and blazer combos, checked suits – were perforated with flashes of brilliant, silver shine. The collection also saw the resurgence of The Air Carnivore, this season’s Nike collaboration – a model that hasn’t been on the market for over a decade. You better snatch them up quick, you’ll have more chance of nabbing a one-way ticket to Pluto than snatching a pair of these once they’ve sold out.
