Look 1, coat dress
2022
Black Rose collection, autumn-winter 2022
Medium
wool (quilt, felt), polyester cotton, polyester (felt) and plastic (fastenings)
Measurements
152.0 cm (centre back) 64.0 cm (sleeve length)
Credit Line
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Gift of the artist, 2025
© Comme des Garçons
Gallery location
Not on display
About this work
Presented in Tokyo rather than Paris, Kawakubo’s Black Rose collection opened
with this enveloping, sculptural ensemble. Ostensibly a coat dress of exaggerated
proportions, it is distinguished by a large cutaway below the waist. Raw seams frame thick panels of felted grey fabric that burst from within, revealing the garment’s inner structure while maintaining its silhouette. In the 1990s, Kawakubo, alongside Belgian designer Martin Margiela, was at the forefront of the deconstructionist movement, exploring ‘unfinished’ garments and the reconfiguration of established dressmaking conventions.
Artwork Details
Place/s of Execution
Japan
Inscription
label, centre back neckline, woven in gold on black synthetic fabric: COMME des GARÇONS
Accession Number
2025.789
Department
International Fashion and Textiles