COMME DES GARÇONS & CHROME HEARTS COLLABORATE, LAUNCH SPECIAL COLLECTION
It features 19 ready-to-wear items.
Comme des Garçons or CDG is one of the most well-connected labels in the industry. It has collaborated with prominent names such as Basquiat, Gucci, and KAWS during its almost 50-year existence.
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Now, Rei Kawakubo collaborates again with an old friend, Richard Stark, co-founder of a modest brand called Chrome Hearts, for a short seasonal capsule of highly extravagant one-offs.
The brands' designers have long been familiar with each other — going as far back as the '90s — and have continued to enjoy each other's design approach.
Back in 1991, Kawakubo asked Stark to model Chrome Hearts apparel as part of an installation at Comme des Garçons' Aoyama headquarters, where the Japanese label still shows new collections to staff and select media.
Stark was so moved by the experience that he bought one of COMME des GARONS' distinctive black shirts, changed the buttons with silver Chrome Hearts buttons, wrote CHROME des GARÇONS on the tag, and gave it to Kawakubo as a gift.
The two have stayed amicable afterward since certain Dover Street outlets continue to offer Chrome Hearts — one of the only third-party retail sites to do so — and they have released a few collaboration T-shirts over the years.
The exclusive one-of-one collection
Chrome and CDG are reuniting for FW21 with their first formal collaboration collection in over three decades. The collection's subtle yet striking aesthetic is introduced with abundant ruching. A rich tiered overall dress is a beautiful layering choice that adds a pop of color beneath soft-spoken outerwear.
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Chrome Hearts' sumptuous gold buttons are highlighted on dramatic knee-length blazers and edgy asymmetric skirts, making them stand out among the clothing collection. It is completed with breezy long-sleeved shirt dresses, which provide a more versatile choice.
COMME des GARÇONS: blending fashion, art, and commerce
Despite the French-sounding name, CDG is a Japanese fashion company created by designer Rei Kawakubo. Comme des Garçons (translated into English as "like the boys") has made a name for itself as a retail brand that encapsulates the philosophies of an artistic lifestyle and encourages curious consumers to step out of their stylish comfort zones.
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CDG immediately became recognized to industry insiders as the independent and subversive house that supports anti-fashion and eventually gained a significant cult following from bold fashionistas outside of Japan.
Despite the initial adverse reaction from fashion critics, CDG established held on and maintained its winning streak by building new stores not only in Paris but also in other big fashion-oriented cities such as New York, London, Beijing, and Seoul.
Icelandic singer-songwriter Björk, American musician Lady GaGa, Barbadian style icon Rihanna, Canadian rapper Drake, British actress Tilda Swinton, and the late English fashion designer Alexander McQueen are just a few of the famous creative stars who have worshiped at the altar of Kawakubo and her quirky fashion empire.
Chrome Hearts: from motorcycle clubs to high-end collaborations
Chrome Hearts was founded in Los Angeles in 1988 and soon began working with the greatest names in music. Richard Stark co-founded the firm with his wife, Laurie Lynn, and started by making handcrafted biking gear.
The biker style was popular among the world's most famous rockstars at the time, prompting the company to collaborate closely with musicians such as The Rolling Stones, Sex Pistols, and Guns n' Roses.
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Chrome Hearts has since gone viral among the "if you know, you know" community. In a 2019 interview with Architectural Digest, the late Virgil Abloh claimed that Chrome Hearts was one of his three favorite businesses.
The label is seeing a boom in popularity three decades after its inception. Last year, men's fashion and streetwear marketplace Grailed ranked Chrome Hearts tenth on its annual "Best Brands" list, a homage to the fact that the Los Angeles-based brand — which Grailed says is difficult to obtain due to its "own outposts and very curated roster of partners" — saw "a major jump in popularity over the course of 2020."
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Adored by celebrities such as Bella Hadid, Chrome hearts applies its distinctive cult-favorite style to the enhanced shapes of the Paris-based legacy brand. The current collaboration's designs, including adaptable jackets, dresses, and bottoms, cannot be found on the runway, adding to its uniqueness.
The two brands' new 19-piece collection is now available at Comme des Garçons Osaka.
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