AW99 Comme des Garçons Fuchsia Tapestry Wool Skirt

As the 1990s drew to a close, fashion in the West had settled into quiet restraint. Minimalism reigned: clean cuts, muted palettes, a direct response to the excess and decadence of the previous decade. But not in Japan.

Comme des Garçons’ Autumn/Winter 1999 collection, Transformed Glamour, marked a pivotal moment in Rei Kawakubo’s ongoing exploration of femininity, beauty, and rupture. It was a tactile, punk-inflected reinterpretation of glamour. One that dismantled elegance and rebuilt it on its own terms.

While the West championed simplicity, Kawakubo presented a radical counter-narrative: loud, layered, and unruly. Colorful prints, tartan clashes, and glittering surfaces mirrored the cultural discourse on identity and self-expression, pushing against fixed definitions of gender and beauty.

Models walked a silent red runway (a nod to traditional couture shows) with their hair twisted into surreal shapes across their foreheads. They wore asymmetrical silhouettes adorned with exaggerated bows, sequins, and distorted tailoring. Every look challenged symmetry, refinement, and the expected.

The fuchsia tapestry wool skirt exists squarely within this space of contradiction. Voluminous and richly textured, it calls up images of antique geometric upholstery. The silhouette of the skirt plays an important role in this tension. Refusing to trace curves or follow contours. The result is a deliberate distortion of the traditionally form fitting feminine silhouette.

Measurements:

Waist: 33cm (adjustable drawstring) 

Length: 78cm

Hem: 120cm