Rei Kawakubo (b. 1942) is fashion designer known for founding the label Comme Des Garçons and retail platform Dover Street Market. In celebration of her achievements in the industry, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York hosted an exhibition of her works titled "Rei Kawakubo/Commes des Garçons, Art of the In-Between", which opened May 1, 2017.
I got to see this exhibit in June while visiting my girlfriend in New York. My partner is a fashion designer major at Parsons School of Design, and provided immense insight as to Kawakubo's process, work, and history. I must admit that prior to seeing her works in person, I had known little about the artist - mostly claiming a fanboy-ish appreciation of her Comme Des Garcons products.
The garments are grouped into categories, each category corresponding to a different set of colors, materials, and processes. It was apparent that these differences had the power to evoke different reactions in a viewer, effectively communicated by a combination of texture and form. As I observantly walked through the exhibit, I could not help but feel as though these garments were something straight out of a science fiction novel or movie.
I see these runway pieces almost as fine art paintings - not created to be mass produced and worn practically, but to serve as an example of the aesthetic capabilities of clothing. We tend to take what we wear for granted, thinking mostly of a garments utility; "how will this make me look? how does this look on me?" However, through Kawakubo's work, it becomes apparent that what one wears can serve higher aesthetic sensibilities when not thought of in terms of mere utility.
This exhibit gave me a new appreciation for the fashion runway. It is a medium that is often overlooked as an artistic platform, as there is still question as to whether or not fashion is art. These photos are a sampling of some of my favorite pieces from the exhibit. The last piece in my series of pictures was worn by Rihanna at this year's Met Gala (photo from E! Online shown for comparison)
