Kawakubo, Rei

(1942- )

   She is the Japanese designer who "is" Comme des Garçons. Kawakubo's view of the human form differed drastically from her contemporaries, which gave birth to a view of fashion the Western world had never dreamed of. Referred to in Japan as "Garcons" and in France as "Comme des," Comme des Garçons (which means "like boys") spoke to the very essence of Kawakubo's criticism of society's view of women and fashion. She presented her first collection in 1975. In 1981, Kawakubo made fashion history with her knitwear that used holes and tears as a fashion statement. By the close of the decade, she had developed a furniture line, a magazine, and opened a flagship store in Tokyo. Kawakubo's ability to master line and form transforms her garments into works of art. She is credited with the prompt of Japanese designers gaining acceptance in the French fashion world. In 1997, she was awarded an honorary degree by the Royal College of Art, London.