Comme des Garçons pulls out of Paris runway season

By

Godfrey Deeny

Published
Sep 4, 2020

Comme des Garçons and its related designer team have pulled out of the upcoming Paris Fashion week, in a major loss to the catwalk calendar.
 
“Comme des Garçons, Junya Watanabe and Noir Kei Ninomiya will not be showing in Paris for the SS21 season,” the houses revealed in a sudden announcement on Friday.

 
“These collections will be unveiled during mini shows or presentations in Tokyo beginning Oct 19th to 23rd as part of our seasonal showroom there. The new season of Comme des Garçons will be available for viewing as well,” the release read.
 
The move marks the first time the legendary Japanese designer Rei Kawakubo, founder of Comme des Garçons and driving force behind uber hip boutique chain Dover Street Market, has not presented on the French women’s ready-to-wear calendar in four decades.

The 77-year-old Kawakubo first began showing in Paris in the later 1980s, quickly establishing herself as a major creative player noted for her asymmetrical silhouettes; conceptual zest and huge all-around influence. Very much the designers’ designer, Kawakubo is only the second living designer to be honored by a solo exhibition in the Metropolitan Museum. 
 
While her protégé Junya Watanabe is a cult designer, with a unique following won thanks to his highly experimental fashion, and innovative fabrics and fabrications. While rising star Kei Ninomiya, a former assistant of Kawakubo, is best known for his unconventional designers and artisanal construction.
 
Their joint decision to skip the next Paris season – scheduled from Monday, September 28 to Tuesday, October 6 – is a highly significant depletion in the official calendar.