Currently viewing the tag: "Comme des Garcons"
For COMME des GARÇONS HOMME’s Plus line, designer Junya Watanabe tweaked the standard Comme formula just a bit. Spring/Summer 2018 is an easy to wear collection of traditional suiting mixed in with sportswear-infused items. There are plenty of utilitarian details on the water repellant spring jackets. The color palette ranges from neutral greys, to black and accent colors of blue and red. Even if you don’t get any of the pieces, this is summer dressing done well. Click through to see the rest of the looks.
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While there are countless online boutiques serving the latest items from designer brands, it’s harder to find a carefully curated selection of past season items. For most hardcore collectors and enthusiasts, the only solution has been to scour eBay, international auction sites and online marketplaces on forums and Grailed. At the end of 2016, a new online boutique shop emerged called Huiben. The shop had a very focused lineup of designer goods, including some very covetable items ranging from Acronym to vintage Helmut Lang. Also refreshing was the fact that the shop felt so independent and carried both women’s and men’s products. The site is launching plenty of great new items at 2PM PST on Thursday, Jan 12, 2017.
I had a chance to speak with the founders of Huiben and get the inside scoop
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It’s been a while since we’ve done a ‘Coveted’ feature here at Third Looks. Personally I’m always interested in seeing archival gear and standout pieces from collections by my favorite designers. While there’s those items that you obessess over with that become grails, there are also items that you never intended on buying which eventually become your favorites. Those are the ones you might find at a consignment shop like Tokio 7 in New York just browsing or something you spot through a browser search late night while suffering bouts of insomnia. I’m happy to post this rare Junya Watanabe women’s piece. I know he had some great pieces so I asked him to share how he came across this particular jumper and how his appreciation for it has grown since owning it.
This piece wasn’t really anything that I had been searching for, so in the traditional sense, it was not something I had ‘coveted’ for a while. One of my good friends actually sent me the link of the Rakuten listing, and when I had seen it, I knew I had to have it. I bought it about five minutes after seeing the listing for the first time. I think it was really love at first sight.
Upon receiving it, I was actually amazed at how heavy the package was. The fabric is heavy cotton, with heavy metal loop attachments and “backpack” straps. My favorite detail though is that the straps on the sleeves and the back are actually adjustable, you can pull the fabric up the length of the strap and fasten it with the buckle in order to producing an effect that is reminiscent to ruching. Despite this sweater being a women’s piece, it still is probably one of the most worn pieces in my wardrobe.
Photos by Alexander N, you can follow him on his tumblr Helmut Mang.
More detail shots after the jump
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Style Profiles have been an essential part of this blog since the inception of Third Looks. I wanted to share the personal style of people I’m inspired by and do so in a way that would capture not only their look but the thought process behind their style. The way Nina dresses is unorthodox and utterly original. I don’t think I’ve ever seen her in the same outfit twice and she constantly evolves: changing her hair, accessories and adding new pieces to her wardrobe. Her appearance is striking but not over the top or attention seeking. It’s this balance between the subtle and the gaudy that really sets her apart. Her attention to detail makes her one of the most stylish people I’ve met in New York. Nina has started being a stylist on shoots and it’s clear to tell from the way she dresses herself that she a creative vision.
Rebekah Seok who took these photos (and absolutely killed the shoot I might add) wanted to title the feature ‘Tokyo Satellite’ and I think in a way that’s a fitting descriptor for Nina’s style. Her style is a confluence of her time spent in Tokyo, London, New York and other far flung destinations (both real and imagined). Her inspirations formed through these appearances and beamed to her through things like music, books and films. I had a pretty in-depth conversation with Nina about the evolution of her wardrobe and the core things which have shaped her aeshetic identity.
Many people would look at what you wear and think that they wouldn’t be able to pull it off. Are there styles you don’t feel you could pull off?
There are some things that body type wise I can’t pull off because of certain silhouettes. Like if I wanted to wear a V-cut dress that went down to my stomach I wouldn’t wear it because it just doesn’t work with my body type or it would give off an image that I wouldn’t want to give off.
How conscious are you about giving about the image that you are giving off with how you dress?
I think the only thing is I don’t like to give off a very sexual vibe. I don’t want to wear to wear anything that I know is showing off a lot of skin and asking people to look me up and down. I don’t like to dress like that. I like mini-skirts and tight clothes but I would definitely dress it down with something that’s the complete opposite so it’s not too much.
What are some of the things that inspire your style?
Children’s books, books in general. animation and a lot of art too. Not necessarily a illustration of a man or a woman, just the piece of art on it’s own. Even music, I like classical music and punk music a lot. I would kind of interpret a song or music in my own way and incorporate that into how I wear clothing.
See the rest of the profile after the jump
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Market Market is a shopping festival where rare archival pieces from the past 7-8 will be available for purchase. I went to the first Market Market and spent way too much money , but the experience was incredible. Seeing rare pieces dating back several years from all the CdG sub-lines was a pleasure all on it’s own. The fact that everything is 70% off or more is just icing on the cake. Do not miss this if you are in New York. The sale will be open to the public from May 10th to the 13th and will be located at 127 W 30th Street. This is guaranteed to be worthwhile pilgrimage for Comme devotees.
Let us know what you end up buying in the comments section.
Simon wears vintage Valentino and Patrik Ervell
Alyssa wears Undercover
Jimmy wears A Bathing Ape, Supreme and Nike
Jamie wears Whyred , Opening Ceremony, Acne and a Philip Lim handbag
Sofia wears Chloe, Thierry Colson and Anndra Neen for Opening Ceremony
Rhamier wears Raf Simons, Comme des Garcons Homme and Komakino
While many of my friends own designer goods, their everyday lives are far removed from the images of luxury that brands flaunt in magazine advertisements or perfume commercials. I know many who have hustled to own the clothes they love, whether through using friend’s discounts, buying at consignment shops or lining up for sample sales. This photo series celebrates anyone who’s saved or sacrifice to live everyday in New York a bit more stylishly.
Photos by Rocky Li
Photo by Rocky Li
With each person I style profile for Third Looks I feel as though I get to know them better just through exploring what their wardrobe and personal style is like. While fashion is given a bad rap in terms of being materialistic and shallow, I think style is a really good indicator of someone’s creativity, character and influences.
When I first met Kyle I thought he dressed pretty low key but as I got to know him I realized his wardrobe had tons of depth and he always wore his pieces in creative ways. More so I feel that his sartorial choies are aligned with his personality and lifestyle and he makes it work for him. It’s easy to just fetishize pieces and grails but I think men would benefit from reflecting on their lifestyles and choosing the clothes that not only look great on the rack, but also fit the way they live.
Look 1
Mercedes-Benz hat
Comme des Garcons SHIRT FW10 vest
Uniqlo down jacket
Uniqlo shirt
V::Room crewneck
3.1 Philip Lim SS10 jeans
White Mountaineering FW10 boots
What sparked your interest in clothes and fashion?
I think I’ve probably always had an interest in clothes and making myself look at least halfway decent, but a lot of it really stems from interests in other things that have a strong focus on personal style.
For me snowboarding was always huge for this, along with different BMX styles of riding. Then came cars and the various scenes around that. I guess I’ve always been drawn to these things that really embrace showing your personality and personal style through such conspicuously physical ways, so clothes are just an extension of that and an easy way to do it while living in New York since I’m not snowboarding, riding, or driving much anymore here.
What thought process do you go through when shopping for new items?
This is a really good question as I can’t say it’s something I’ve ever thought about before. I guess I’m long past the point where I’m filling any (perceived) “holes” in my wardrobe, but I’ve gotta say I really like going out and seeing what’s out there. I have some favorite shops I’ll always check and other ones I’ll just stumble in occasionally, but I think it’s important to get out there and see what’s going on. Part of this is that there is so much good stuff out there to be appreciated that I know I would never bother actually buying or wearing, since it just isn’t “me.”
The other part of this is that I try not to buy too much anymore so I’ll see how it could work in my wardrobe. I’m not interested in buying some out-there piece that I would have to really tone down with other boring clothes – that just ends up looking like you never thought it through and are settling because you wanted to show off that one item so bad. Not a good look in my eyes. And I definitely don’t want something that makes me think “well this would be so much better if I just bought item X or Y too.” I want to take an out-there piece and integrate it with other stuff I have and just do it up, you know? Make it look like it was always meant to be there. Less but better.
Look 2
Monitaly FW11 leather jacket
Nepenthes shirt
Uniqlo denim shirt
APC jeans
Visvim SS08 FBT
I think a good example of everything I just talked about is that leather Monitaly jacket. I had always liked the ubiquitous Margiela 5-zip that they do every season in a few leathers/colors but it doesn’t work for me and I have no interest in making it do so. There’s no denying it’s an iconic piece and a brilliant design though, so when I came across this Monitaly jacket it was like something clicked, and they got me. It’s just this complete bastardization of the 5-zip, totally making fun of it with some overly Americana vibes in brown calf leather, with some big leather tassles on the zips, and wool knit cuffs. That’s what I’m all about, just having fun with my style. I had never bothered to buy a leather jacket before because I had never found The One, but this was it. It was perfect. And I’m thinking to myself “Ok, wear this with some FBT’s and I’ll have tassles all over the place, cause why not, right?”
More looks after the jump
Fall 1995
Spring 2001
Spring 1995 (Keizo Kitajima)
Comme des Garçons has been able to thrive since it’s inception in 1969 due to the brand’s ability to evolve with the times. One permutation of the brands adaptation are the eccentric print advertisements for the SHIRT sub-line which began over 11 years ago. Since then the advertisements have displayed everything from Pet Shop Boys lyrics to punk poetry, cave paintings, vintage pins and 16th century Flemish paintings. In the Winter 2011 Issue of 032c , Alice Rawsthorn is quoted “Perhaps because the Shirt campaigns are conceived by a creative director who edits the contents from ready-made imagery rather than the fashion designer and photographer who produce them, the only consistent thing about them is their inconsistency. Yet collectively they build a compelling portrait of the brand as well as of its creators and the people who will wear the clothes.”
Rei Kawakubo once told Suzy Menkes “It’s true to say that I ‘design’ the company, not just the clothes. Creation does not end with the clothes. New interesting business ideas, revolutionary retail strategies, unexpected collaborations and nurturing of in-house talent, all are examples of Comme des Garçons creation.”
Credit for collecting the images goes to the user sipang of Styleforum from these I have selected my personal favorites.
1994 (Marc Atlan / Keizo Kitajima)
Spring 2008 (Ronnie Cooke Newhouse – Stephen Wolstenholme)
Leland Myrick
Spring 1988 ( / André Kértesz)
Spring 1989 (Inoue Tsuguya / Lilo Hess, Enzo Cucchi)
I’m constantly inspired by the style of strangers on the streets of New York. But when I’m online I like to take a look at what’s occurring in far off lands and Japanese streetstyle has long been my favorite. I would say that Japanese streetstyle blogs really emphasize brand-mixing and celebrating a personalized look. Here are some of my favorite looks from the Japanese streetstyle blog Style Arena.
Here are some of my November streetstyle picks from Harajuku, Ginza, Daikanyama, and Shibuya.
Yuki Ikeda
Hunting jacket: JUNYA WATANABE COMME des GARÇONS MAN
Shirt: SLACK
Sarrouel Pants: GANRYU
Loafers: Hender Scheme × HARUTA
Bag: Hender Scheme
A very Junya-esque look worn with a lot of confidence. The proportions and lines are clean and the pants are drop-crotch without being extreme. Casual and effortless and the all khaki is a good contrast to the indigo shirt below.
Paz
Trench Coat: COMME des GARÇONS HOMME PLUS
Shirt: COMME des GARÇONS
Handbag: Ungaro
Paz is wearing a men’s jacket and owning it. This pattern isn’t easy to pull off but the color on the dress and shoes help tone down how eye-catching it is. This fit is better than the sum of it’s parts and to me that indicates great personal style.
Mayumi Kaneko
Chester Coat: URBAN RESEARCH
Loafers: URBAN RESEARCH
Tote Bag: MARC BY MARC JACOBS
A nice languid fit that’s broken up by the cropped patterned trousers and cropped coat sleeves. A simple fit but the looseness of the clothes puts a really nice drape. Doesn’t hurt that this beezy has such a great haircut either.
Yamazoe
Chester Coat: JOHN LAWRENCE SULLIVAN
Shirt: JOHN LAWRENCE SULLIVAN
Slacks: JOHN LAWRENCE SULLIVAN
Scarves: BALMAIN
Sneakers: VANS
Socks: UNIQLO
Tote Bag: YOHJI YAMAMOTO
The vans in this fit tone down a luxe look with mostly John Lawrence Sullivan. I like that the chesterfield does not look too dressy here and instead gives more of a youthful vibe. The slacks fit perfect but the purple socks put this one over the top.
Shinya
Coat: COMME des GARCONS
Jacket work: COMME des GARCONS
Shirt: COMME des GARCONS
Pants skinny: banal Chic Bizarre
Glasses: MYKITA
Sneakers: Y-3
Shinya is pulling off three difficult things here: orange hair, black and navy and layering a jacket underneath a coat. For that he deserves props. Before you attempt this look make sure your swag is up to pair, self-doubt will be your downfall.
