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Coat and skirt

COMME DES GARÇONS, Tokyo (fashion house), Rei KAWAKUBO (designer)
Coat and skirt
 1994
Metamorphosis collection, autumn-winter 1994–95

Medium
wool nylon, acetate, metal and plastic (fastenings)

Measurements
(a) 135.0 cm (centre back) 73.0 cm (sleeve length) (coat)
(b) 108.0 cm (centre back) 36.0 cm (waist, flat) (skirt)

Credit Line
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Gift of Takamasa Takahashi and David Tune, 2025

Reproduction requests

Gallery location
Level 3, NGV International

 

About this work

Into the 1990s, Kawakubo’s collections continued to reject notions of beauty and taste. Experimenting with atypical fabrics and a grunge aesthetic, the Metamorphosis collection featured ragged and deliberately ill-fitting clothes. Making use of boiled woollens that were shrunk after construction, Kawakubo revalued the ugly and abject to disrupt traditional rules of dress.

Artwork Details

Place/s of Execution
Japan

Inscription
(a) label, centre back neckline, woven in gold on black acetate: COMME des GARÇONS
(b) label, centre back waistline, printed in ink on white acetate: COMME des GARÇONS

Accession Number
2025.368.a-b

Department
International Fashion and Textiles

Explore the collection

Dress MOSCHINO, Milan (fashion house); Franco MOSCHINO (designer) Look 8, dress COMME DES GARÇONS, Tokyo (fashion house); Rei KAWAKUBO (designer) Beach dress FRANCE Look 10, dress COMME DES GARÇONS, Tokyo (fashion house); Rei KAWAKUBO (designer) Look 15, dress BALENCIAGA, Paris (fashion house); Nicolas GHESQUIÈRE (designer) Look 2, coat COMME DES GARÇONS, Tokyo (fashion house); Rei KAWAKUBO (designer) Shoe covers COMME DES GARÇONS, Tokyo (fashion house); Rei KAWAKUBO (designer) Hula hoop bag CHANEL, Paris (fashion house); Karl LAGERFELD (designer) Dress CHANEL, Paris (fashion house); Karl LAGERFELD (designer) Dress NINA RICCI, Paris (fashion house); Jules Francois CRAHAY Hat COMME DES GARÇONS, Tokyo (fashion house); Rei KAWAKUBO (designer) Jacket ALEXANDER MCQUEEN, London (fashion house); Sarah BURTON (designer) Banner ZANDRA RHODES, London (fashion house); Zandra RHODES (designer) Jacket ALEXANDER MCQUEEN, London (fashion house); Alexander McQUEEN (designer) Look 2, top and shorts COMME DES GARÇONS, Tokyo (fashion house); Rei KAWAKUBO (designer) Kaftan ZANDRA RHODES, London (fashion house); Zandra RHODES (designer) Look 1, top and shorts COMME DES GARÇONS, Tokyo (fashion house); Rei KAWAKUBO (designer) SHOE Nova shoes UNITED NUDE (shoemaker); Rem D. KOOLHAAS (designer); Zaha HADID (designer) Look 5, dress (prototype) COMME DES GARÇONS, Tokyo (fashion house); Rei KAWAKUBO (designer) Black bunny ears hat COMME DES GARÇONS, Tokyo (fashion house); Stephen JONES (designer) Jacket WORLDS END, London (fashion house); Vivienne WESTWOOD (designer) Dress STEPHEN SPROUSE, New York (fashion house); Stephen SPROUSE (designer) CAMEL CLOTH Dress JULIEN MACDONALD, London (fashion house); Julien MacDONALD (designer) Look 29, jacket GUCCI, Florence (fashion house); Alessandro MICHELLE (designer) SEAT Sampler Margaret FOSTER Look 49, skirt GUCCI, Florence (fashion house); Alessandro MICHELLE (designer) Look 6, dress COMME DES GARÇONS, Tokyo (fashion house); Rei KAWAKUBO (designer)