If these past few weeks in fashion have shown anything to us, it’s that concept is far more valued than construction. Fashion houses are throwing away everything they once cared about for artistic value. Rei Kawakubo of Commes des Garçons is no stranger to this approach. Arguably, she contributed to its invention. Since her debut show over forty years ago, her collections have always contradicted expectations of fashion and disrupted the norm of the Western world.

The show opened with three ivory dresses, stiff yet puffy, that managed to appear both soft and hard at once. Each was paired with a bold hat in the same shade, the first look resembling a child’s drawing of a bunny brought to life. The second and third looks, crafted from a mysterious, rigid fabric, were striking and bold, reimagining silhouettes by contrasting a boxy, shapeless dress with exaggerated shoulders and hips. Structured folds, resembling fabric beneath melted latex or canvas coated in resin, gave the impression that these ensembles were in the process of liquefying. The hats, perched like solid rocks atop each model’s head, included one adorned with feathers and another featuring an elongated crown.

On the dresses, an upside-down image of tents, tarps and figures was printed and stitched underneath a mesh fabric, puffed into a bulb that concealed any humane-like shape. Some looks were outrageous and sarcastically large. Playful geometric patterns on lustrous bright textiles constructed in giant forms created this strange dichotomy of wanting to hide and begging for attention. In Look 13, rings of charcoal ruched wool and geometric black and white silk created the illusion that the skirt was moving on its own.

Lace and chiffon bounced down the catwalk in red, white and cream. The big, seldom uneven shapes that practically wore the models made us forget that actual people were underneath walking, breathing underneath. Many of these dresses concealed faces or only allowed an eye to peep through.

The show closed with cloud-like ivory dresses made from ruffles of plastic and chiffon. The hats returned to bring more flair to these avant-garde garments. Once again, Comme Des Garçons blended concept with construction to create a new perspective. Was any of this collection wearable to the average daring fashionphile? Not at all. Was the collection a beautiful reminder that fashion is art, that it can tell a story with many meanings, and that fashion is first and foremost about human expression? Absolutely.

Comme des Garçons Spring Summer 2025