Deconstruction Revisited

[Fade to Black]

For some reason the Comme des Garcons Homme+ "Golden Boy" collection popped into my head sometime yesterday or the day before and I was reminiscing on how brilliantly off the whole ordeal was. The collection itself, the timing (but it's so idiosyncratic I don't think Rei could convincingly be referred to as a late-adopter from this period and the metallics trend), that Rei continually goes against any sense of continuity or context against the rest of fashion even as we see some hints that appear to be recurrent and we think we've got it figured out. Who is the Comme man? Especially compared to the Yohji man or the Issey man (these latter two are probably closer to each other in sensibility than the C) it's especially stark, the contrast. Achieves my vision of aesthetic perfection in a sense: impossible to accurately describe but instantly recognizable. I don't always agree with the individual parts, but as a whole idea sometimes it's really something.

[Fade to Black]

Further musings on deconstruction, from an angle of personal style:

Thinking of the common question surveyed in many fashion interactions "who is your style icon?" it's often harder to distinguish what that really means. People likely list examples of ideological admiration and impossible aspiration which is impossible because circumstances are just too different and personality is singular anyway, rather than listing those they are genuinely trying to dress like, for which a successful appropriation would involve adopting all the non-dressing patterns and what not that would mean becoming someone else, someone clearly not them.

For me, the people I've admired and always consciously aspired to approach in terms of dress sense are those middle-aged Japanese customers I usually see mulling about Yohji shops in Japan, men who are definitely regulars going off their easy camaraderie with the staff and space. It's a certain type of man that is very out of touch with the sublime Yohji as presented on runways and editorials. There is something irreverent towards fashion about the way these men wear their clothes; I do not think they follow fashion of any kind outside of Yohji, and it is a place where they go to get clothes to wear when they need it. Seeing this type of man, I never got any visceral association "oh, you're wearing Yohji." If anything, often times they look staid, even dowdy. But you can tell clearly they wear and appreciate the garments. And it is only in Yohji boutiques out of all major Japanese labels I visit where I see this phenomenon. I am likely to see his female counterpart on the ground floor as well, smoking cigarettes, picking up basic t-shirts and appropriate cardigans for fall and conversing with staff but by no means a fashion blog candidate. Comme browsers always seem highly self-conscious in their striving for fashion, the Issey is sparse but definitely a disposition towards knowing refinement. On the other hand, the Yohji man I mention can be spotted every time without fail, just hang around the mens' area a bit longer.