Comme des Garcons - H&M

[mesh]

Great post gerry, I actually really love this collab and as a cdg fan wanted to buy some pieces but after hearing about the mayhem have decided against it. It's too bad the people who are really fans won't have any access due to the hype.

[somanycakes]

Great post gerry, I actually really love this collab and as a cdg fan wanted to buy some pieces but after hearing about the mayhem have decided against it. It's too bad the people who are really fans won't have any access due to the hype.

At least half of the lineup here was resellers who clearly weren't there for the clothing. It was really disappointing, most of them were responsible for the pushing/shoving and general hectic behaviour too.

[laika]

the videos of people fighting over stuff at the flagship are ridiculous...shameful, really.

I'll definitely not run you off, as I have missed you around,
but I have a hard time comprehending how one can first
contemplate a gem of a Junya dress and then the next day
be shopping at H&M. I'm not trying to be funny here, its just
it something I can't do. After my first experiences with Helmut
Lang, Ann Demeulemeester, Carol Christian Poell, I was caught
and other disturbances has faded.
So could you please explain, as I would like to understand?

To be honest, i didn't originally plan to shop at all, just to do some anthropology. I tried to judge the garments in themselves, as I always do, rather than being dissuaded by the hype alone. Like I said, there was certainly some low quality, filler, quasi-disposable stuff, and I have no interest in that whatsoever. But, I was quite impressed with some of the signature, more limited pieces, and it was gratifying for me--as someone who respects Rei-- to see that it wasn't all crap, and that she was able to deliver a certain amount of design and quality integrity, even within the constraints of a mass market chain. I bought the pants because they fit me better than any CDG pants I have ever worn, and because I was very pleased with the fabric and construction.

Anyways, my point is while I can't see Junya customers buying into this, I can definitely see CDG people doing so as let's be honest... the CDG customer now are the ones who buy those silly little patent wallets.

very nice post! but I am a Junya customer and a CDG customer...and I also own one of those silly wallets.

wire.artist, looking forward to seein the pants. I would get the real thing too, if they fit me...even the S is waaaay to bulky.

[Acid, Bitter and Sad]

Crazy video...but nothing unexpected.

I'd love the see what it was like at the Tokyo opening though...probably just as insane, but in a more orderly fashion? !

[Acid, Bitter and Sad]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h8MTjV04olg

just found this on youtube

[Chinorlz]

someone's rockin L'Incognitos!

[makeupexpression]

i wonder if anybody has lined up and bought some stuffs...

[Avantster]

At the risk of getting run off SZ...

I went to the store on Lex at 9. Did not wait in line at all--just strolled in with the crowd when the doors opened. I would say there were only about 100 people queuing up? I have never been to one of these things before and figured i would just watch from the sidelines, as i'm not much for competitive shopping. It was surprisingly civilized though--no snatching or fighting.

The clothes are a mixed bag. The polka dot pieces and plain wool jerseys are just ok--only marginally above ordinary h&m quality. They are definitely the filler pieces of the collection, as there were tons of them, and the staff kept bringing out more. [Ugly] bags were quite limited as were scarves, and people went cravy over these.

The good: Men's trench is very intricately detailed and a nice weight wool, much nicer than the women's. I didn't think the other men's stuff was anything great. The boiled wool jackets were all excellent--exceptionally well finished, especially on the inside

I did get two truly beautiful pairs of pants in luxury weight wool--one drop crotch, one jodhpur style. Amazing fit, also beautifully finished. Am extremely pleased with those and quite surprised about it.

Great post, although I would argue that most of the people buying into this simply do not have the same knowledge nor the objective eye for quality that you have.

Anyway, I think it's great you found something worth wearing there.

The stuff designed by CDG (well, at least the most recent collection – the season before is a different story) and Junya currently cannot be reproduced by H&M. I'd like to see H&M make double layer shirts that twist across your body and sit perfectly. I'm not accustomed to paying retail for anything but Junya was the first designer that I did that for because when I saw it, I must have stared at it for a couple minutes because I couldn't understand how it was constructed...

Anyways, CDG's collections when they first showed in Paris, or at least their aesthetic, are something that can easily be put out there by H&M. Even though I think it's no longer true, the aesthetic that is attributed to CDG is the entire black, asymmetrical, torn up bit in a very loose silhouette.

Here's a CDG jacket from 1980.

I think in her interviews, Kawabuko made it pretty clear that the H&M collab was going to be very much about CDG as a brand versus her current vision. When I see the H&M pieces, I don't see the next collection for CDG, I just see pieces that define CDG as a brand.

Anyways, my point is while I can't see Junya customers buying into this, I can definitely see CDG people doing so as let's be honest... the CDG customer now are the ones who buy those silly little patent wallets.

I disagree. Even H&M could and did, it would be devoid of meaning and purpose, watered down.
Context is very important. CDG's 'Hiroshimia-chic' aesthetic was in stark contrast the powerful, glamorous aesthetic of the 1970's (think YSL). It was revolutionary. Fast forward to today, and it no longer has the same impact. Deconstruction is everywhere.

It's unfortuate to see how much we as humans driven by hype, but this is human nature. My bet is that in a years time, the people that will still be wearing this will be few and far between, and already knew about CDG in the first place.

[gerry]

very nice post! but I am a Junya customer and a CDG customer...and I also own one of those silly wallets.

Haha ok ok, I tend to generalize. Well, I guess all I can say is I have faith in your style

[gerry]

I disagree. Even H&M could and did, it would be devoid of meaning and purpose, watered down.
Context is very important. CDG's 'Hiroshimia-chic' aesthetic was in stark contrast the powerful, glamorous aesthetic of the 1970's (think YSL). It was revolutionary. Fast forward to today, and it no longer has the same impact. Deconstruction is everywhere.

That's why I emphasized the role of CDG as a brand – with the backing of CDG, H&M can and essentially has made those clothes with an artificial (well, you decide whether that's true) sense of meaning and purpose. I was merely trying to point out that Junya and CDG have risen above their original aesthetic (in their mainlines) to create things that cannot be reproduced by H&M now.

I also disagree with the statement that deconstruction is everywhere if we're talking about the likes of H&M. You have to remember that even though H&M rips off designers constantly, they are always designers like Marc Jacobs, Anna Sui, and the like. I was under the assumption that my asymmetrical black clothes with reversed seams were looked upon as entirely normal until I actually talked to someone about it. Torn jeans are not deconstruction. Deconstruction has become commonplace within the fashion industry, but that's about it. Clothes, not fashion?

[christoffer]

cdg homme plus and the womens line is one of my favorite brands. i couldn't help but pick up a pair of the cropped pants. not my proudest moment, but a nice price break for a change.

[Faust]

It's unfortuate to see how much we as humans driven by hype, but this is human nature. My bet is that in a years time, the people that will still be wearing this will be few and far between, and already knew about CDG in the first place.

Unless it's CCP.

[Heirloom]

HAHAHAHA. CCP+H&M = epic.

[Fade to Black]

I disagree. Even H&M could and did, it would be devoid of meaning and purpose, watered down.
Context is very important. CDG's 'Hiroshimia-chic' aesthetic was in stark contrast the powerful, glamorous aesthetic of the 1970's (think YSL). It was revolutionary. Fast forward to today, and it no longer has the same impact. Deconstruction is everywhere.

the thing i like and respect the most about Rei's approach to design (and maybe we interpret the brand in a different way) is that her clothes and collections are pretty much stripped of any kind of context or 'deeper meaning' that people, the fashion media, the internet love applying to designers (Raf Simons and Prada being the two i see most often pored over for traces of meaning or intention). There may be an odd reference here or there, but in general the term 'CdG Universe' is a pretty apt one. The clothes just are, to attempt to explain them would be futile. Can't think of any other designer who I think has managed to maintain this kind of enigmatic quality in their entire vision...

[boysdontcryy]

HAHAHAHA. CCP+H&M = epic.

= never gonna happen.