Rei Kawakubo did not study fashion. She studied fine arts and literature at Keio University, then worked in advertising at a textile company. When she could not find the clothes she wanted to photograph, she started making them herself. In 1969, she founded Comme des Garçons. In 1981, she showed in Paris. Fashion has never been the same.
The name means "like the boys." But the clothes answer to no one. Kawakubo's designs reject conventional beauty in favor of something more honest: asymmetry, deconstruction, raw edges, and a color palette that treats black not as an absence but as a statement. Her collections do not chase trends; they challenge the premise of what clothing can be.
For those new to the house, CDG Play—with its heart-shaped logo designed by Filip Pagowski—is the most accessible entry point. But the brand's soul lives in the main Comme des Garçons line, in Homme, in Shirt, and in the punk poetry of the runway collections that continue to reset the boundaries of fashion each season.
The Gray Crab carries Comme des Garçons because we believe luxury should sometimes make you uncomfortable, in the best way. These are clothes for people who dress for themselves.
Shop the Comme des Garçons Collection