With a hint of military inspiration carried over from seasons past, Rei Kawakubo’s Comme des Garçons Spring 2010 collection is a mix of old-school military garb and the typical craziness associated with the label. As a big fan of shoulder pads, it goes without saying that I’m head over heels for leather armor pads and shell-like cropped jackets. But let’s be honest, who else wanted to eat the models’ hair? That can’t be healthy.

READ MORE ABOUT: comme des garcons, military, rei kawakubo

Rei Kawakubo is creating a new collection of handbags under the Beatles/Comme des Garçons label in collaboration with Apple Corps Ltd., the company that manages the Beatles’ musical catalogue.

READ MORE ABOUT: apple corps ltd, Beatles, rei kawakubo

While their design aesthetics may be completely unique, the following ten designers have one thing in common: Asian descent! Here are our favorites:

1) ALEXANDER WANG

2) PHILLIP LIM

3) YOHJI YAMAMOTO

4) REI KAWAKUBO

5) THAKOON

6) DEREK LAM

7) ANNA SUI

DOO-RI CHUNG

9) JASON WU

10) VIVIENNE TAM

READ MORE ABOUT: alexander wang, anna sui, Asian Designers, derek lam, Doo-Ri Chung, jason wu, Phillip Lim, rei kawakubo, thakoon, Vivienne Tam, Yohji Yomamoto

VMan is dedicated to pushing mens fashion forward and the Summer 09 edition is no different. It gives us a taste of what’s to come for fall and focuses on the designers committed to bringing menswear into the forefront – Rick Owens, Riccardo Tisci, Rei Kawakubo and Raf Simons, and more.

Terry Tsiolis creates an edgy portfolio celebrating fashion on the fringe and models Joseph Culp, Kyle Sanders, Julian Hennig, Andrey Ivanov, Devin Childers, Tomek Szczukiecki, Danny Schwarz, William Eustace, Mikus Lasmanis, Keith Browning & Ludwig P are all enlisted to add attitude.

READ MORE ABOUT: Andrey Ivanov, Danny Schwarz, Devin Childers, Joseph Culp, Julian Hennig, keith browning, Kyle Sanders, ludwig p, Mikus Lasmanis, Raf Simons, rei kawakubo, Rei Kawakubo and Raf Simons, riccardo tisci, rick owens, Tomek Szczukiecki, William Eustace

Rei Kawakubo’s Fall 2009 Comme des Garçons collection had me reminded of kindergarten story time with “The Very Hungry Caterpillar”…except this collection is missing it’s happy ending. Honestly, where’s the butterfly? The whole collection was rather unflattering, sending creepy skin colored cocoons and cropped trenches, layered over pelts of and pelts of  baggy fabric, down the runway  While screen prints cheapened many of the garments, checkered blankets made several coats and jackets look more like DIY projects than runway worthy fashion. To be very blunt, none of these pieces are even ready-to-wear…unless you’re the homeless guy who sleeps in a garbage can in Washington Square Park. But credit is owed where it is deserved and I must say, the toe-printed oxfords are adorable. At least Comme des Garçons Fall 2009 wasn’t a complete let down…

GALLERY: RUNWAY RUNDOWN: Comme des Garçons Fall 2009

LINKAGE: Style 

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Comme des Garçons designer Rei Kawakubo told BlackBook:

“The collection is constructed around Comme des Garçons’ style. Rather than aiming to make clothes that no one has ever seen before, it is very much Comme des Garçons to its roots. My priority has always been creativity, which was not the least bit compromised with this collection. That was the last thing H&M wanted us to do. Otherwise they wouldn’t have asked us.”

Okay, so Comme des Garcons is very expensive, and H&M is not, and many are pissed that CdG for H&M will run upwards of $350. BUT, this is the only change to snag a piece for under a thousand bucks, AND it will be made with no compromise to quality. So would you rather pay less for sweatshop brand, or a little more for a the creativity and ‘uncompromised’ efforts of Rei Kawakubo herself?

Thanks NY Mag

READ MORE ABOUT: commes des garcons, H&M, rei kawakubo

Marc Jacobs talks about the much anticipated Louis Vuitton collaboration with Rei Kawakubo of Comme des Garsons. 

“I’ve kind of warned everybody up there that I think they’ve gotten a little too into this idea which, I mean, is great, I’m glad that everybody gets behind it, but what they don’t realize is that I do it at a pace that maintains the brand’s integrity and seems really right, and I think that sometimes everybody loves a good idea so much that they kind of go too far and it kind of kills it.”

READ MORE ABOUT: Louis Vuitton, Marc Jacobs, rei kawakubo

Legendary designer Rei Kawakubo is collaborating high and low. Beside the one-off line she’s doing for H&M this November, the Comme des Garçons designer approached Louis Vuitton and will design six handbags that will be sold exclusively in a temporary Louis Vuitton shop at the Comme des Garçons store in Tokyo’s Aoyama district this fall.

Kawakubo said the collection would include two original “party bags” she designed, plus reeditions of two 30-year-old handbags and customized versions of two current monogram styles. The temporary store is slated to open Sept. 4 with an interior she described as half luxury, half raw.

Meanwhile, Kawakubo disclosed that she’s designed a red, pie-shaped shop concept that will house her Comme des Garçons for H&M collection in its entirety in 20 select locations, with smaller versions in a great number of doors come early November. She’s also tapped photographer Peter Lindbergh for the campaign that will feature Missy Rayder, among others.

Marc is also excited about the collab, stating “It is impossible to overstate Rei Kawakubo’s influence on modern fashion, I find it wonderful to think that 30 years ago, this immense talent, someone who has inspired so many others, was inspired by Louis Vuitton.”

Source: WWD

READ MORE ABOUT: comme des garcon, H&M, Louis Vuitton, rei kawakubo