Comme des Garçons

Comme des Garçons (also known as CDG) is a Japanese fashion label founded and led by Rei Kawakubo in Paris. The French flagship store is in Paris. This label owns a global store chain with locations in major cities such as London, Melbourne, Hong Kong, New York City, and Tokyo's Ginza district. Aside from fashion, the label has expanded into jewelry and perfume. During Paris Fashion Week and Paris Men's Fashion Week, the company showcases its main collections. According to reports from 2017, the company and its affiliates generated "over $280 million in revenue per year."

Rei Kawakubo founded the label in Tokyo in 1969, and it became a corporation in 1973. It is written as follows in Japanese: (Komu de Gyaruson). In French, the name means "like boys." The brand's name was inspired by the line "Comme les garçons et les filles de mon âge" from Françoise Hardy's 1962 song "Tous les garçons et les filles." In Japan, the brand became popular in the 1970s, and a menswear line was added in 1978. The company made its debut in Paris in 1981. French critics were critical of Kawakubo's heavy use of distressed black fabrics and unfinished seams.

Its clothes were frequently associated with a distressed and punk-oriented style throughout the 1980s. Kawakubo's 1982 collection "Destroy" received harsh criticism. The "Hiroshima bag lady look" was coined by Women's Wear Daily, and the Associated Press dubbed Kawakubo the "high priestess of the Japanese wrap." Unusual fashions persisted into the 1990s, many of which were despised by experts.

Founded: 1969
Headquarters: Tokyo, Japan (de facto); Paris, France (de jure)

Instagram: @commedesgarcons (2.5 million followers)

Website: https://www.comme-des-garcons.com/