Ensemble

Junya Watanabe|Comme des Garçons

fall/winter 2015–16 · polyester, cupro, plastic (polyvinyl chloride), metal · Costume Institute

As a designer for Comme des Garçons, Junya Watanabe excelled by fusing Kawakubo's confrontational approach to traditional form with his own interest in historicism. Watanabe's fall/winter 2015 collection, which explores dimensionality through clothing, recalls the concertina pleated garments presented in his fall/winter 2000 collection, “Techno Couture”. This coat, created entirely of collapsible honeycomb pleats in wool jersey, is reminiscent of Pierre Cardin's "Cardine" dresses of the late 1960s. While Cardin pleated the textile using heat and metal molds, Watanabe achieves a similar effect using traditional sewing techiques.

Artist

Junya Watanabe|Comme des Garçons

Date

fall/winter 2015–16

Medium

polyester, cupro, plastic (polyvinyl chloride), metal

Culture

Japanese

Department

Costume Institute

Credit line

Purchase, Funds from various donors, by exchange, 2015