2. Who ?
• A Founder of “Comme des Garçons”
• 71, Born 1942 Tokyo
• Start her career as an advertiser of textile company
• Establish her own company 1973
• Debut Paris fashion 1981
3. Comme des Garçons
• Adrian Joffe
• Founded 1969
• 17 Brands, Shop in 8 countries
• $220M, 800 employees
• Mixing pure creativity with business savvy
4. Specialities
• Black
• Avant-Grade,Anti-Fashion and Deconstructed
• Draped, Frayed, Unfinished Edge, Hole,Asymmetrical
• Flat, Joined, Cutting, Reconstructed,Wrapped
• Never seen, Not repeated, Not easy understand
5. Problem for her
• Everyone is not free
• Only follows to one direction
• Stereotype, Existing idea, Pursue profitable value
• Authorities control the system
6. Challenge
• Collections twice every year for 40 years
• Create the future
• Not Art, always fashion as a wear
• Serious against taboo for free
• Convey a cosmology not only fashion
7. Words
• Not only sale clothes.The store is where to express her
(rebellious) sprit and word view.
• Make store where for sympathize with CDG. Nothing new if
it is where anyone can enter easily.
• Do not think a plan for business.Always think something new.
• A fashion isn’t complete expression.Think what CDG totally
presents now, then, create the comprehensive design for
shop, display and ornaments.
8. Words
• It is important to convey the movement to social even if
people couldn’t purchase the garment because it was costly.
• There are many fashions. Creativity, Fast-Fashion or middle of
them. But, it is no reason all fashion become democratic.
• As I live my normal life, I hope to find something that click
starts a thought, and then something totally unrelated would
arise, and then maybe a third unconnected element would
come from nowhere.
9. Words
• As the weight of experience piles up, it has become
increasingly difficult to find yet new ways of thinking and to
make new things.
• My intention is not to make clothes. My head would be too
restricted if I only thought about making clothes.
• I run a business as well, so we need ways to grow and
develop, but this has not changed the way I approach design
in any way whatsoever. My sense of values has not wavered
since I founded the company 43 years ago.
10. Words
• We never liked the idea of diffusion because it kind of waters
things down. It dilutes the idea.
• When we did a second line for Comme des Garçons we
deliberately made the title longer — Comme des Garçons
Comme des Garçons — because it wasn’t a diffusion line, it
was an extension: the thing that comes off the real thing, so
you keep the spirit.The concept behind it is not lesser than
the first Comme des Garçons line
