Rei Kawakubo
Founder and designer of Comme des Garçons
Rei Kawakubo is a Japanese designer who founded Comme des Garçons in Tokyo in 1969 and remains its creative force. Her conceptual, often radical collections changed ideas of beauty in fashion, and her Dover Street Market stores created an influential model for multi brand luxury retail.
| Role | Founder and designer of Comme des Garçons |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1969, Tokyo |
| Retail concept | Dover Street Market (since 2004) |
| Nationality | Japanese |
| Born | 1942 |
| Known for | Avant garde design, curated retail |
Who is Rei Kawakubo?
Rei Kawakubo is a Japanese fashion designer born in Tokyo in 1942. She founded Comme des Garçons in 1969 and incorporated the company in 1973. She remains its founder and designer and also stands behind Dover Street Market, while Adrian Joffe serves as chief executive of both businesses. She studied fine arts and literature and has no formal fashion training.
Career
Kawakubo opened her first boutique in Tokyo in 1975 and added menswear in 1978. Her Paris debut in 1981 provoked strong reactions: the asymmetric, torn and largely black garments challenged prevailing ideas of glamour and are now seen as a turning point for avant garde design.
Over the following decades Comme des Garçons grew into a group of lines and licences, from conceptual mainline collections to accessible ranges such as PLAY and an extensive fragrance business. The company has also supported designers who emerged from its studio, including Junya Watanabe.
- 1969: founds Comme des Garçons in Tokyo
- 1981: Paris debut
- 2004: opens the first Dover Street Market in London
- 2017: Art of the In-Between exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art
Influence on the fashion business
Kawakubo's influence on business models is as significant as her design legacy. Dover Street Market, opened in London in 2004, mixes Comme des Garçons lines with curated brands from luxury and streetwear in constantly changing installations. It has expanded to cities including Tokyo, New York, Singapore, Beijing, Los Angeles and Paris, plus an online shop, and is widely cited as a template for experiential, multi brand retail.
The company has also pioneered collaborations, working with partners ranging from H&M to streetwear labels and artists, years before such tie ups became standard practice in the industry.
In 2017 the Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum of Art dedicated Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garçons: Art of the In-Between to her, only the second monographic show there for a living designer, presenting around 140 womenswear pieces.
Why it matters
Kawakubo shows that a fiercely independent, design led company can sustain a global business over five decades without joining a large group. For retailers, Dover Street Market remains a reference for curation, changing store environments and the mix of established and emerging brands under one roof.
Frequently asked questions
Who is Rei Kawakubo?
Rei Kawakubo is a Japanese designer who founded Comme des Garçons in Tokyo in 1969. She is known for avant garde collections and for creating the Dover Street Market retail concept.
What is Dover Street Market?
Dover Street Market is a multi brand retail concept created by Rei Kawakubo and Comme des Garçons, first opened in London in 2004. It combines Comme des Garçons lines with curated luxury and streetwear brands and now has stores in several global cities and an online shop.