KCIDigital Archives

The KCI Digital Archives on the KCI website presents image and text information for the objects in the collection, arranged in chronological order.

Top, Pants

© The Kyoto Costume Institute, photo by Kazumi Kurigami

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Top, Pants

Spring/Summer 1996

Designer
Junya Watanabe
Brand
Junya Watanabe Comme des Garçons
Label
JUNYA WATANABE COMME des GARÇONS
Material
White polyester unwoven fabric; folding or gusset.
Inventory Number(s)
AC9297 96-1-1AB

Deviating from conventional dressmaking techniques, these clothes were made by an original method. Unwoven fabric with a paper-like texture was transformed into clothing by folding the fabric or adding slack at the parts where room for movements is required, without using darts.
Junya Watanabe joined Comme des Garçons in 1984, and in 1992 he established his own brand under the company. By cleverly using new materials produced by high technology in Japan as well as traditional materials, and at the same time, developing the potential of those materials to the utmost limit, Watanabe proposed a series of innovatory concepts for fabrication. His designs clearly reflect the instruction of Rei Kawakubo (1942–): Do not settle yourself in stereotype notions.

1990s