A New Project from COMME des GARÇONS Arrives | COMME des GARÇONS
COMME des GARÇONS
Works and Messages from Eight Selected Artists in 2020 Rei Kawakubo's Designs Bring Fresh Expression!
This new project from <COMME des GARÇONS> is sure to be a treat for yourself this year! In 2020, they partnered with "SWITCH" magazine for a special project. Various works have taken on a new look through <COMME des GARÇONS>'s designs.
Text & Photography by TORU KITAHARA
OPENERS Highlights the Enormous Tote Bag!
<COMME des GARÇONS> has launched a new project titled "People of the Year by COMME des GARÇONS and SWITCH." Centered around Rei Kawakubo's vision, it expresses a desire for "people who have inspired us" amidst the confinement of the pandemic, selecting eight artists from Japan and abroad. Rei Kawakubo will design their works, messages, and signatures. These will be available from Saturday, November 28, 2020, at select <COMME des GARÇONS> stores, DOVER STREET MARKET GINZA, and TRADING MUSEUM. OPENERS had the opportunity to borrow and photograph these items!
Based on the philosophy of "valuing things that people have poured their hearts and souls into creating," eight artists were selected for the "People of the Year by COMME des GARÇONS and SWITCH" theme. The lineup includes tennis player Naomi Osaka, photographer Nobuyoshi Araki, manga artist Kotobuki Shiriagari, UK rapper Stormzy, poet Shuntaro Tanikawa, architect Kazuyo Sejima, musician and poet Patti Smith, and Ichiro Yamaguchi of Sakanaction. The colossal tote bags immediately caught my eye!
These are enormous tote bags, large enough for a person to fit inside. I wonder if I'm the only one who feels that everyday objects, when scaled up, become art? I felt like framing it and hanging it on the wall. What further enhances their presence are the artworks, messages, and signatures printed on both sides. Their overwhelming power can only be truly appreciated in person, but the sheer size of the bags can be conveyed through photographs taken alongside other products.
These tote bags, which could be described as giant objets d'art, are perhaps meant more for display than for practical use (it's unlikely many people could reach the bottom). As I thought, scaling things up truly transforms them into art! Let's take a closer look at the items from each artist.
Naomi Osaka's items are a notable further collaboration with <NIKE>. Both the sneakers and T-shirt feature her signature and the message "Home is where the heart is!" transforming her dynamic image. The sneakers used are the acclaimed "BLAZER High."
Nobuyoshi Araki Left: Coach Jacket ¥29,000, Right: Tote Bag (850mm(H) x 750mm(W)) ¥29,000 (excluding tax)
Nobuyoshi Araki's contribution features his photographic works (dolls and flowers, strongly evoking Araki's style) and his calligraphy (="Paradise" and "Nobuyoshi Araki"), boldly designed to further enhance his unique artistic expression. The items include a coach jacket and a giant tote bag.
Kotobuki Shiriagari's works are printed on a T-shirt and hoodie. While paying homage to Hokusai's ukiyo-e, the pieces incorporate Shiriagari's characteristic modern and, in a good way, bitingly satirical commentary. I wished I could ask Mr. Shiriagari, "Did you ever imagine you'd collaborate with <COMME des GARÇONS> in your lifetime?"
Stormzy's collection includes a T-shirt and a blouson, featuring his signature and the logo of his label "#merky." The graphic design, exuding a street vibe, is truly characteristic of <COMME des GARÇONS>!
Shuntaro Tanikawa Left: T-shirt ¥15,000, Center: Shirt ¥26,000, Right: Tote Bag (720(H) x 640(W)) ¥26,000 (excluding tax)
Shuntaro Tanikawa's items include a giant tote bag, a shirt, and a T-shirt. Notably, his childhood photos are printed alongside a newly written poem in his handwriting.
Kazuyo Sejima's T-shirt and giant tote bag feature different prints. The T-shirt displays a memo that served as the basis for the "Inujima" project's blueprints. The giant tote bag is printed with diagrams from the campus plan for Bocconi University in Italy.
Patti Smith <Musician> Left: Shirt ¥39,000, Right: Tote Bag ¥29,000 (excluding tax)
Patti Smith's collection includes a long shirt and a giant tote bag, both printed with her portrait and handwritten lyrics from her song "People Have The Power." The long shirt, in particular, features a twisted silhouette design, very much in the <COMME des GARÇONS> style.
Ichiro Yamaguchi Left: Staff Coat ¥43,000, Right: Tote Bag (850(H) x 750(W)) ¥29,000 (excluding tax)
Ichiro Yamaguchi's items are a staff coat and a giant tote bag. The QR code printed on the items, seemingly just a design element, actually leads to a newly written song, "Sugar & Sugar," composed for this project when scanned.
I urge you to visit and see this lineup in person, as if visiting a museum. And as you celebrate your hard work this past year, I sincerely hope you'll purchase something to reward yourself! I'd like to conclude my article here!
"People of the Year by COMME des GARÇONS and SWITCH" Release Date: Saturday, November 28, 2020 Participating Stores: COMME des GARÇONS: Aoyama, Osaka, Marunouchi, Kyoto, Fukuoka, Nagoya LA CHIC, TRADING MUSEUM Midtown, TRADING MUSEUM GYRE, New York, Paris, Bangkok, Singapore, Hong Kong DOVER STREET MARKET (DSM): DSM Ginza, DSM London, DSM New York, DSM Los Angeles, DSM Singapore, DSM Beijing
Left: Coach Jacket ¥29,000, Right: Tote Bag (850mm(H) x 750mm(W)) ¥29,000 (excluding tax)