Comme des Garcons S/S 08

[dontbecruel]

Re: Comme des Garcons S/S 08



I also always seem to find myself criticising Rei's collections here, which is boring for the rest of you to read. I agree that some of the construction is fascinating (and the first two details Laika posted are very nice indeed). But so much of the impact of this seems to depend on the styling, which I can't think of any way to describe other than pretentious (sorry, I know that's pretty weak, but it's true too). Most of the clothes are essentially ugly (especially the fabrics) but it's all carried off with the air that something important is being done. Personally I think Rei is fishing for compliments when she says she is only a dressmaker. The audience is supposed to say "oh no, darling, you are a revolutionary philosopher".

From about 82 to 87 the Comme collections were beautiful. They made simplicity sexy. They were playful and attractive and had a kind of social utopianism that transcended the confines of the fashion world. Since then I personally think Rei has been trading on her reputation.

[laika]

Re: Comme des Garcons S/S 08

[quote user="Faust"]

That's not true - I liked some shows before and after that as well. It was cacophony, all right, and looked like it too - in other words, a mess, but not an appealing one.

How I got Rei>camp>irony? Easy, most of her shows lately have been obvious camp. This retained elements of it with loud, playful colors, tutus, etc. I guess there were no obvious reference to something specific (Pink Panther, Rolling Stones, Disney), but I don't think it has be so to be campy. And, camp is ironic, is it not?

[/quote]

Camp is necessarily ironic. But clashing colors and tutus don't equal camp. There needs to be an element of quotation and she's really not referencing anything here (unlike, say, Bernhard Wilhelm, who is pretty much all camp all the time). She's simply creating cacophany, like you said, and there's nothing ironic about it. It just is. Cacophany.

So, no irony, no camp. [66]

Reading dbc's post though, I realize why you keep going back to that twisted collection. It was amazingly inventive; completely true to the spirit of CDG; and *beautiful. The recent shows completely lack that simplicity, which makes them seem more contrived and less "honest." The workmanship is still dazzling of course, but it's so over the top, that one has to wonder what (if anything) is driving it all. Perhaps this is Rei's intention though...she's always saying that her collections aren't "about" anything.

Anyway...you know at the end of the day, I am Yohji's girl. [64]

[Faust]

Re: Comme des Garcons S/S 08

[quote user="laika"][quote user="Faust"]

That's not true - I liked some shows before and after that as well. It was cacophony, all right, and looked like it too - in other words, a mess, but not an appealing one.

How I got Rei>camp>irony? Easy, most of her shows lately have been obvious camp. This retained elements of it with loud, playful colors, tutus, etc. I guess there were no obvious reference to something specific (Pink Panther, Rolling Stones, Disney), but I don't think it has be so to be campy. And, camp is ironic, is it not?

[/quote]

Camp is necessarily ironic. But clashing colors and tutus don't equal camp. There needs to be an element of quotation and she's really not referencing anything here (unlike, say, Bernhard Wilhelm, who is pretty much all camp all the time). She's simply creating cacophany, like you said, and there's nothing ironic about it. It just is. Cacophany.

So, no irony, no camp. [66]

Reading dbc's post though, I realize why you keep going back to that twisted collection. It was amazingly inventive; completely true to the spirit of CDG; and *beautiful. The recent shows completely lack that simplicity, which makes them seem more contrived and less "honest." The workmanship is still dazzling of course, but it's so over the top, that one has to wonder what (if anything) is driving it all. Perhaps this is Rei's intention though...she's always saying that her collections aren't "about" anything.

Anyway...you know at the end of the day, I am Yohji's girl. [64]

[/quote]

Ok, so if I gave you a theme (say, something like - "this is referencing a discarded rag-doll that a child threw out upon growing up and Rei has somehow rediscovered it), would that make it camp? [72] I don't know, maybe it was the wrong word - but I don't like the collection anyway, because I don't think it's much different then her other recent collections.

[laika]

Re: Comme des Garcons S/S 08



It would only be camp if she was *ironically" referencing the rag doll. Like Bernhard and his cannabis prints; or any number of things they sell Seven. [73] Seven is super campy.

There has to be something almost insincere about the reference..something "so bad that it's good."

Sorry if I sound nit-picky...this flu is probably making me grouchy. [:$]

[Faust]

Re: Comme des Garcons S/S 08

[quote user="laika"]

It would only be camp if she was *ironically" referencing the rag doll. Like Bernhard and his cannabis prints; or any number of things they sell Seven. [73] Seven is super campy.

There has to be something almost insincere about the reference..something "so bad that it's good."

Sorry if I sound nit-picky...this flu is probably making me grouchy. [:$]

[/quote]

No, it's cool [51]

[nqth]

Re: Comme des Garcons S/S 08



It's mad and completely unwearable:). The whole collection is built around sleeping bags, pillows... She cut a bag, fold it into half or sew it into other bag. Or sew a lot of bags as application, or patchworks, as you like.All, even swrs are from square "bag" shape. Fabric is likewhat youfind in your bed.It's mass production"redesigned" into high (or mad, trash, as you like) fashion. It's quite a Comme way. she likes to mix industrial production (since the plastic, nylon, synthetics...)with hand design.

It's genial!