The sweltering heat couldn’t deter Comme loyalists from stepping out in their finest regalia to see Rei Kawakubo’s latest Homme Plus collection Saturday afternoon. In her brief show notes, she said “I had the feeling that we would really need to get someone powerful like a shaman to come back to lead us to peace, love and fraternity”. To a chorus of hypnotic chants, Rei sent out a procession of experimental suits that warped tailoring traditions to fantastic effect.
Boys in baker boy caps with double bills came in a dizzying array of suits. Some came with cartoonishly large lapels, others had sleeves that peeled away at the shoulder to create a bulbous silhouette. Skinny trousers could be unzipped so their drainpipe proportions would expand into a more relaxed fit, while deconstructed knits overlayed classic shirting in a divine finish. The collection was called Not Suits, But Suits, the most brilliant example being floral jackets in candy hues that were ruffled at the hemline or bulged out at the hip. They packed serious flower power.
Photography courtesy of Comme Des Garçons.
