Rei Kawakubo is not one to sugarcoat her runway shows with escapist tropes. In fact, she is and has always been the opposite. Her shows have always been analyses of the present and a vision into potential futures, and her Fall 2019 show for Comme des Garçons was no different! With such a beautifully dark and melancholic collection, she highlighted the despair dominating society today. She touched on everything—from the political turmoil and the destruction of societal norms to the continuous decay of the environment. With her impeccably constructed voluminous shapes, she offered a dark vision of the world—one where a military coup has forced women to put on leather-induced armor and exaggeratedly round shapes to protect both their bodies and their integrities. By their side were hooded monastic beings in haunting shades of purple, blood red, and butterscotch yellow. They, on the other hand, symbolized religious oppression that’s somewhat a strong driving force of today’s troubles. Yet even with her somber palette and domineering silhouettes, the message was loud and clear: the world is ending, slowly but surely. And with this collection, what an excruciatingly beautiful way to go!
Photo: Daniele Oberrauch / Gorunway.com
