2017 Met Gala: 7 Things to Know About Rei Kawakubo
By Danielle Abreu ••
When it comes to Rei Kawakubo, expect the unexpected.
The Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art will dedicate its spring fashion exhibition to the 74-year-old creator of the label Comme des Garçon. It is only the second time in the museum’s history that an exhibition has been mounted to honor a living designer, the first being Yves Saint Laurent in 1973.
The Japanese visionary behind the influential label is famously mysterious and tight-lipped. Kawakubo avoids being photographed and rarely gives interviews. She is not well known among the wider public, but that appears to be how Kawakubo likes it.
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The theme of the 2022 Met Gala was “In America: An Anthology of Fashion.” Host Blake Lively made several best dressed lists, as did fashion favorites Gigi Hadid and Carbi B.
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Among the famous actors, musicians, and fasion icons, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez managed to stand out at the 2021 Met Gala. Her “tax the rich” gown made headlines, but didn’t steal the entire show. Big choices for the “In America: A Lexicon of Fashion” theme were made by Iman and Lil Nas X, who each shined in their own way.
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Who could forget the iconic Lady Gaga entrance at the 2019 Met Gala. Dressed for “Camp: Notes on Fashion,” the acclaimed singer surprised us all with numerous changes on the red carpet. But the NYC native wasn’t the only celebrity turning heads. Zendaya wowed in a Cinderella-inspired look, including a miniature carriage. Jared Leto, on the other hand, brought a head look-a-like.
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The 2018 Met gala had a divine theme with “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination.” Guests like Madonna, in Jean Paul Gaultier, and Rhianna, donning a Pope-inspired ensemble by Maison Margiela that included a papal mitre, rose to the occasion in their looks. Miley Cyrus may have missed the memo on “heavenly” because her backless Stella McCartney dress was positively sinful.
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Claire Danes lit up the red carpet, literally, at the 2016 "Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology" exhibition benefit in a one-of-a-kind Zac Posen gown crafted from organza and fiber optics. The "Homeland" actress looked like an intergalactic Cinderella in the high-tech garment.
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"Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology," brought plenty of silver and metallics to the steps of the Metropolitan Museum. The Costume Institute's spring 2016 exhibition explored how fashion designers are reconciling the handmade and the machine-made in the creation of haute couture and avant-garde ready-to-wear. And though most celebs interpreted that to mean metals, silver, and sequin embellishment, others — like model Rosie Huntington-Whitely, left, in Ralph Lauren, comedian Amy Schumer, center, in Alexander Wang, and model Emily Ratajkowski — appeared to ignore the theme altogether.
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Rihanna was one of the few celebrities to wear a creation by a Chinese designer for 2015's "China: Through The Looking Glass" theme. Guo Pei’s imperial yellow, fur-trimmed cape that was embroidered with scrolls and scrolls (and scrolls) of flora, shut down the red carpet at the Costume Institute Benefit Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 4, 2015 in New York City.
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Jennifer Lopez, left, fused the "China: Through The Looking Glass" theme in an Atelier Versace illusion gown that depicted a red dragon embroidered around her body in ruby crystals. Justin Bieber, center, wore a custom Balmain dragon-embroidered blazer. On the right, Kristen Wiig's flowing chiffon Prabal Gurung number may have embraced the color scheme, but the dress was more Grecian than Chinese.
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Charles James designed sumptuous, structured gowns with a mathematical approach and innovative tailoring. Designer Zac Posen dressed both Burlesque dancer Dita Von Teese, left, and model Liu Wen, center, in elaborately constructed dresses for 2014's theme of "Charles James: Beyond Fashion." Influences of James can been seen in the gravity-defying folds of fabric in Wen’s gown, and Von Teese’s heavily tailored mermaid dress. Kristen Stewart’s loose-fitting Chanel dress is just "beyond fashion" and not at all inspired by James' work.
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The "Punk: Chaos to Couture" theme for the 2013 Met Gala focused on the origins of the punk movement and how the style has influenced couture and ready-to-wear over the years. From the studded Burberry gown to her sharp pendants, model Cara Delevingne, left, oozed punk. As did Polish model Anja Rubik, center, who rocked an Anthony Vaccarello red leather mini featuring an asymmetric chain-mail cut-out panel. Sports Illustrated model Kate Upton appeared to have ignored the punk dress code, donning a bright green Diane Von Furstenberg dress. However, she made a slight reference to the era with a backcombed hairdo.
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Kim Kardashian, pictured with husband Kanye West, turned heads in a memorable Riccardo Tisci flowered gown at the Costume Institute Gala for the "PUNK: Chaos to Couture" exhibition at the Met. Though Tisci defended the look, saying she was "the most beautiful pregnant woman I dressed in my career,” critics noted that pink flowers aren't very "punk."
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In 2013, the "Schiaparelli and Prada: Impossible Conversations" exhibition pointed out the similarities in the imaginative designs of Elsa Schiaparelli and Miuccia Prada, two Italian women who challenged conventional notions of beauty and chic, focusing on seven themes. Camille Belle's Ralph Lauren number reflected "The Classical Body," which explores the designers' influence of old world glamour in their gowns. In the center, Beyoncé's Givenchy gown represented the designers' use of detailed embellishment in the "Waist Up/Waist Down" theme. Designer Marc Jacobs turned heads on the red carpet with a long black lace tunic by Commes des Garçons over a pair of white boxer shorts and pilgrim shoes because “I just didn't want to wear a tuxedo and be boring.”
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The 2008 Met Gala "Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy" theme looked at how designers drew inspiration from superhero costumes, such as the cape on Amber Valeta's Versace gown, center, or the Wonder Woman-esque red corset Christina Ricci, left, rocked under her pink chiffon Givenchy dress. Gisele Bundchen, right, may have looked super stunning in her backless pink Versace gown, but the look was a superhero fail.
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Paul Poiret was a pioneer in modern fashion, doing away with the corset and embracing the notion of personal style. He was among the first to use draping in dressmaking and he had no problem putting pants on women. At the 2007 Met Gala themed "Poiret: King of Fashion," Gisele Bundchen, left, and Iman, center with husband David Bowie, elegantly interpreted Poiret's progressive style. Renee Zellweger, right, chose a tight-fitting Carolina Herrera, a silhouette Poiret worked to liberate women from.
Yet she has remained a silent powerful force in the fashion scene for decades. While the pieces Kawakubo shows on the runway are unconventional, favoring the avant-garde over wearability, many of the elements in her pieces have trickled down to the mainstream, such as unfinished hems, elaborate draping, and asymmetrical silhouettes.
"Rei Kawakubo is one of the most important and influential designers of the past 40 years," Andre Bolton, curator of the Met's Costume Institute, said in a video profile. "By inviting us to rethink fashion as a site of constant creation, recreation and hybridity, she has defined the aesthetics of our time."
Bolton has been tasked with illustrating Kawakubo’s influence and work in context for a mass audience in “Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garçon: Art of the In-Between.” The exhibit will run from May 4 through Sept. 4.
Ahead of the exhibition launch, here are seven things to know about designer Rei Kawakubo:
Anti-Fashion Kawakubo never trained to be a fashion designer. She studied art and literature at Tokyo's Keio University and got her start in fashion working in marketing at a textile factory. She credits that lack of a formal fashion education for giving her the freedom to explore with her pieces and sidestep any preconceived notions about how clothes should be made.
Like Some Boys Kawakubo first began making clothing when she worked as a stylist and couldn’t find the types of garments she wanted. She started designing clothes in 1969 under the label Comme des Garçons, which is French for “like boys.” The name was lifted from the French song “Tous les garçons et les filles” by Francoise Hardy. Comme de Garçon was an instant hit in Japan.
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NEW YORK, NY - MAY 04: Sarah Jessica Parker attends the "China: Through The Looking Glass" Costume Institute Benefit Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 4, 2015 in New York City. (Photo by Larry Busacca/Getty Images)
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Rihanna, wearing a gown by Guo Pei with Cartier jewelry, attends the "China: Through The Looking Glass" Costume Institute Benefit Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 4, 2015 in New York City.
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Beyonce, in Givenchy Haute Couture, and Jay Z attend the 2015 Met Gala.
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Kim Kardashian West, in a Roberto Cavalli gown, and Kanye West arrive at the 2015 Met Gala.
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Sarah Jessica Parker, in a gown by H&M and hat by Philip Treacy, attends the 2015 Met Gala.
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Kerry Washington, in Prada, poses on the red carpet at the 2015 Met Gala.
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Amal Clooney, in a Maison Margiela Couture gown, and George Clooney attend the 2015 Met Gala.
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Madonna, in Moschino, attends the 2015 Met Gala.
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Editor-in-Chief of Vogue Anna Wintour, wearing Chanel Haute Couture, arrives at the 2015 Met Gala.
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Alexander Wang and Lady Gaga, in Balenciaga, at the 2015 Met Gala.
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Jennifer Lawrence, in Dior Haute Couture, attends the Met Gala on May 4, 2015 in New York City.
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Michael Kors (L) and Kate Hudson, in Michael Kors, pose at the 2015 Met Gala.
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Joshua Jackson (L) and Diane Kruger, in Chanel, attend the 2015 Met Gala.
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Katy Perry (L), in a Moschino gown, and designer Jeremy Scott at the 2015 Met Gala.
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Kendall Jenner, in Calvin Klein Collection, at the 2015 Met Gala.
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Justin Bieber attends the 2015 Met Gala.
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Amanda Seyfried attends the 2015 Met Gala.
Gong Li at the 2015 Met Gala.
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Kristen Wiig, in Prabal Gurung, poses at the 2015 Mets Gala.
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Kris Jenner attends the 2015 Met Gala.
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Spike Lee (L) and Tonya Lewis Lee pose on the red carpet at the 2015 Met Gala.
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Alicia Keys, in Jean Paul Gaultier, poses at the 2015 Met Gala.
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Donatella Versace and Jennifer Lopez, wearing Atelier Versace, attend the 2015 Met Gala.
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Anne Hathaway, in a Ralph Lauren Collection gown, attends the 2015 Met Gala.
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Brie Larson, Courtney Eaton and Annabelle Wallis attend the 2015 Met Gala.
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Katie Holmes, in a Zac Posen gown, attends the 2015 Met Gala.
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Solange shows off the detail on her Giles dress at the 2015 Met Gala.
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Zendaya attends the 2015 Met Gala.
Ragged Chic In April 1981, Kawakubo made her debut at Paris Fashion Week at a time when fashion was dominated by the high glamour and bright colors of Gianni Versace and Thierry Mugler. Kawakubo’s collection was unlike anything anyone in the Western fashion world had seen before: The all-black clothing was in tatters, oversized and shapeless. The fashion community in Europe and the U.S. was stunned and dismissed it as “Hiroshima's revenge.”
Lumps and Bumps Often ignoring the regularities of human form in her designs, Kawakubo uses material abundantly, inflating the garments to surreal proportions. Famous for her four-armed jackets or added lumps and bumps, as seen in the 1997 Quasimodo-esque collection “Dress Meets Body, Body Meets Dress,” Kawakubo has constantly challenged preconceived ideas of how women should dress.
If Comme de Garçons collections are any indication, Monday night’s Met Gala red carpet will surely be interesting.
Influences Karl Lagerfeld, Nicolas Ghesquière, creative director of Louis Vuitton, Céline creative director Phoebe Philo and Marc Jacobs, have all listed Kawakubo as an influence in their designs. Without Kawakubo, there may not have been a Miu Miu cut-off sunglasses trend. She even influenced how labels reached consumers. Throughout the 2000s, Comme des Garçons came to be known for their “guerrilla” stores, as fashionistas called them, kicking off a major pop-up shop trend that's still popular today.
CDG Play Today Kawakubo and her husband Adrian Joffe preside over a multimillion-dollar privately held company with both commercial and fashion-forward lines for men and women, a perfume license with Puig and a collaboration with Converse. Comme de Garçon's sister brand CDG Play, launched in 2002, became an instant streetwear success thanks to its signature logo of a pre-emoji heart with eyes. CDG Play pieces have been spotted on the backs of high-profile celebrities. Kanye West, A$AP Rocky, Drake and Pharrell, a co-chair of this year's Costume Institute Gala, are all fans of the label.
Met First Despite being a famously conceptual designer, Kawakubo has reportedly never been invited to a Met Gala, her husband told The New York Times in an interview in 2013. It was not immediately clear if she had been invited in the years after the interview. Monday night’s fête will be her first appearance (and could be her last).
