COMME and go forth

Business of Fashion reports the track record  how Comme des Garcons's Rei Kawakubo has given rise to a coven of forward-thinking createurs.

As in other sectors, fashion’s biggest and most visible companies serve as de facto training grounds for rising talent. But none has given birth to a collection of offspring quite like Rei Kawakubo’s Comme des Garçons, a multi-brand business that generates $220 million in revenue per year, yet operates according to an unconventional ethos rooted in raw creativity.

Junya Watanabe 

Training ground: "Comme des Garcons TRICOT"

Currently: his namesake label "Junya Watanabe"

Tao Kurihara 

Before: Under Watanabe, then "Tao" (launched in 2005, but discontinued in 2011)

Currently: head of Comme des Garcons TRICOT

Fumito Ganryu 

OJT: Under Watanabe.

Currently: "Ganryu” (launched 2007) 

Junichi Abe 

Track record: Tricot and Watanabe lines; "ppCM"

Currently: Kolor

Chitose Abe

Experience: "Comme des Garcons" and "Junya Watanabe"

Currently: Sacai

(Trivia: Yes, they are husband and wife.)

Kei Ninomiya 

Currently: “Noir by Kei Nomiya”(launched 2012)

Their common ground: they all started as patternmakers.

Alongside their common belief in genuine creativity, many of Kawakubo’s offspring began as patternmakers, achieving mastery over their craft through years of working on garments firsthand — not just sketching — something which is increasingly rare and valuable today. 

Source: BoF