Rei Kawakubo has never been one for convention. Spring/Summer 2012 saw Comme des Garçons Homme Plus bending the rules of traditional menswear—warping, distorting, and refining in equal measure. Tailoring was pulled apart and put back together with intention, exaggerating lapels, shifting closures, and balancing structure with fluidity. Classicism undone, but never without purpose.
Kawakubo thrives in contradiction—rebellious yet polished, precise yet undone. Clean but rugged. Punk with an air of elegance.
SS12 also saw a collaboration with Christian Astuguevieille, a French visual artist and longtime creative director of Comme des Garçons Parfums. The collection featured a lineup of jewel-embellished crowns, made popular by G-Dragon in his Fantastic Baby music video.
This wool-mohair rider jacket embodies that tension. The asymmetrical zip stays, but the aggression softens in a pinstripe wool-mohair blend that moves with ease. Epaulettes nod to militarism, while the elongated lapels and subtly flared hem push it toward something unexpected—almost regal, but never quite settling.
