Unleashing a daring and futuristic narrative on the runway, the Comme des Garçons Homme Plus Spring/Summer 2024 collection radically reshapes conventional perceptions of men’s tailoring. A vivid testament to designer Rei Kawakubo’s renowned creativity, the new line-up ventures “beyond reality“, as she puts it, to propose a wardrobe for an evolving human form.
In her journey to redefine tailoring, Kawakubo pushes the envelope by distorting the fabric of conventional fashion norms, transforming garments to accommodate a nascent human form yet to emerge. The imprint of this alternate universe is distinct in the shoes – a symphony of conventional sneakers from a Nike ACG collaboration, juxtaposed with black leather Oxfords, designed for feet morphed in a distinctly otherworldly fashion.
The collection unfolds like a captivating narrative, starting with an array of black frock-coated looks adorned with white collars. The conventional waistbands are masterfully transformed into hems of inverted short pants, punctuating the suiting with unexpected tufts of long black hair. Jackets bear witness to a state of metamorphosis, revealing double layers or parts of other jackets grafted onto them, hinting at the blurring boundaries of clothing and body.
With a touch of theatrics, Kawakubo’s design transforms the attire into a walking stage. Evoking a sense of the organic, an upside-down pant, camouflaged in black foliage, signifies a transition from black and white to earthy tones. This piece is paired with a jungle print short and a netted white shirt, crowned with a same-print jacket opened at the back, resembling a theatrical curtain. This motif repeats in another design, with a print fronting a back-to-front jacket.
The collection continues to explore iridescent fabrics, with suiting featuring floating shoulders and collar backs in an audacious punkish yellow tartan. Even the accessories speak to the collection’s eccentric spirit, with models wearing headband pieces reminiscent of children’s sticker packs, adorned with motifs of martini glasses and dolphins.
In the climax of this sartorial narrative, the models seem to wear everything at once – a sartorial explosion of layered shirting, military dress, overpainted suits, and pairs of pants hanging as if in a wardrobe. This visual cacophony feels like a commentary on our current era, an age of excess and information overload, and a suggestion of the future we may be evolving towards.
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