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Shoes

COMME DES GARÇONS, Tokyo (fashion house), Rei KAWAKUBO (designer)
Shoes
 1985
Bias Cutting collection, spring summer 1986

Medium
leather, rubber

Measurements
(a-b) 8.0 × 8.0 × 23.0 cm (shoes) (each)

Credit Line
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Gift of Takamasa Takahashi and David Tune, 2025
© Comme des Garçons

Reproduction requests

Gallery location
Not on display

 

About this work

This collection is notable as one of the first instances where Kawakubo created a silhouette that followed the natural lines of the female body. Much like the early twentieth-century French couturier Madeleine Vionnet, who used bias cutting in a revolutionary way to recast the relationship between body and fabric, here Kawakubo uses the technique to explore ideas of irregularity and asymmetry.

Artwork Details

Place/s of Execution
Japan

Inscription
(a) printed (vertically) in gold ink on insole: COMME des GARCONS / MADE IN JAPAN
(b) printed (vertically) in gold ink on insole: COMME des GARCONS / MADE IN JAPAN

Accession Number
2025.311.a-b

Department
International Fashion and Textiles

Explore the collection

Dress JULIEN MACDONALD, London (fashion house); Julien MacDONALD (designer) Dress CHANEL, Paris (fashion house); Karl LAGERFELD (designer) Shirt ALEXANDER MCQUEEN, London (fashion house); Alexander McQUEEN (designer) Glove purse MAISON MARTIN MARGIELA, Paris (fashion house); Martin MARGIELA (designer) Sampler Margaret FOSTER Dress JULIEN MACDONALD, London (fashion house); Julien MacDONALD (designer) Look 13, dress and headpiece COMME DES GARÇONS, Tokyo (fashion house); Rei KAWAKUBO (designer) Pregnancy ensemble (ENGLAND) DAMASK SHOE Tie ISSEY MIYAKE, Tokyo (fashion house); Issey MIYAKE (designer) Dress MAISON MARTIN MARGIELA, Paris (fashion house); Martin MARGIELA (designer) Iris, clutch bag ALEXANDER MCQUEEN, London (fashion house); Sarah BURTON (designer) Dress JEAN PAUL GAULTIER, Paris (fashion house); Jean Paul GAULTIER (designer) Dress ALAÏA, Paris (fashion house); Azzedine ALAÏA (designer) Look 6, dress COMME DES GARÇONS, Tokyo (fashion house); Rei KAWAKUBO (designer) Look 49, dress ALEXANDER MCQUEEN, London (fashion house); Alexander McQUEEN (designer) Look 49, skirt GUCCI, Florence (fashion house); Alessandro MICHELLE (designer) Outfit BODY MAP, London (fashion house); Stevie STEWART (designer); David HOLAH (designer) Shoes COMME DES GARÇONS, Tokyo (fashion house); Rei KAWAKUBO (designer) Look 8, dress COMME DES GARÇONS, Tokyo (fashion house); Rei KAWAKUBO (designer) Top ISSEY MIYAKE, Tokyo (fashion house); Issey MIYAKE (designer) Dress JULIEN MACDONALD, London (fashion house); Julien MacDONALD (designer) Textile William MORRIS Beach dress FRANCE Hat ALEXANDER MCQUEEN, London (fashion house); Sarah BURTON (designer) Hula hoop bag CHANEL, Paris (fashion house); Karl LAGERFELD (designer) Boots ALEXANDER MCQUEEN, London (fashion house); Alexander McQUEEN (designer); Sarah BURTON (designer) Jacket ZANDRA RHODES, London (fashion house); Zandra RHODES (designer) Skin heel boots FECAL MATTER, Montreal (fashion house); Steven Raj BHASKARAN (designer); Hannah DALTON (designer)