Rei Kawakubo's (born October 11, 1942, in Tokyo, Japan) iconoclastic vision and avant-garde creations made her one of the most influential designers of the late 20th century.
Kawakubo studied fine arts and aesthetics at Keio University in Tokyo, graduating in 1964. Kawakubo left home after college and took a position in the advertising department of Asahi Kasei, an acrylic-fiber textile manufacturer. She was fortunate with her supervisor and had creative freedom there, and she also got involved in collecting props and costumes for photo shoots. After a few situations when she couldn't find her dream pieces for a shoot, she started to design her own fashions. In 1967 she became a freelance stylist.
Kawakubo studied fine arts and aesthetics at Keio University in Tokyo, graduating in 1964. Kawakubo left home after college and took a position in the advertising department of Asahi Kasei, an acrylic-fiber textile manufacturer. She was fortunate with her supervisor and had creative freedom there, and she also got involved in collecting props and costumes for photo shoots. After a few situations when she couldn't find her dream pieces for a shoot, she started to design her own fashions. In 1967 she became a freelance stylist.
Rei Kawakubo
Kawakubo designed her Comme des Garçons ("like boys") clothes thinking of the mobility and comfort of women, which led her to the non-stiletto concept for the collections and even runways. The brand quickly became popular and was represented in various shops in Tokyo.
During the late 1970s, Kawakubo started a professional and romantic relationship with fellow Japanese designer Yohji Yamamoto. They both produced clothes that redefined fashion and challenged conceptions of feminine beauty. The two debuted separate collections in Paris in 1981 and shocked the critics. The garments were dark (primarily black), oversized, asymmetrical, twisted, bulged, and did not conform to the lines of the human body. Kawakubo and Yamamoto continued to collaborate for several years and, together with Issey Miyake, were considered Japan's most innovative fashion designers.
Rather than respond to trends, Kawakubo rooted her designs in concepts, straddling art and fashion. Her influential 1982 collection, Destroy, featured oversized, loosely knit sweaters with holes of varying size that looked as though they had been slashed open. The dark, disheveled style was dubbed by the media the "postatomic" and "Hiroshima chic" look. As Rei revealed once that her creations come from unhappiness.
This year's Architecture Expo will be held at the fabulous Hong Kong City Hall. The Expo is constantly developing, demonstrating effective cooperation between the development market and the architects. This year's record-breaking edition of the Expo will feature 230 exhibitors and 25 speakers from over 30 countries.
After over 30 years, Kawakubo is still the sole owner of her company. This includes all the boutiques and franchises throughout the world. Together her company grosses $150 million annually. At the same time, all these years, Kawakubo has remained famously media-shy and has been given very few interviews compared to the other designers.
