London set to host historic Comme des Garçons auction 265 archive pieces from vintage specialist dot COMME
Following record-breaking auctions dedicated to Maison Margiela (highlighted by a pair of Tabi boots selling for a record €364,000), Jean Paul Gaultier, and Chanel, Kerry Taylor Auctions returns with an extraordinary event dedicated to Comme des Garçons. As with previous editions, the public will have the opportunity to view the pieces before they go under the hammer: a true immersion into the multifaceted universe of the legendary Japanese label founded by Rei Kawakubo.
In total, 265 lots from the collection of leading vintage specialist dot COMME will be offered. Entirely new to the market, these archive pieces have never been offered for sale on the collector's website before.
A historic sale from the 1970s to the present day
@sixarev One Memorable Look: Jean-Michel Basquiat on the Comme des Garçons S/S 87 Runway A 26-year-old Basquiat brought his signature Brooklyn cool to the Paris catwalk in 1987, walking for Comme des Garçons Homme Plus. Known for his love of avant-garde fashion and Kawakubo's designs, Basquiat wore a pinstriped suit paired with Mary Janes, embodying his blend of luxury and nonchalance. Decades later, his influence continues to shape art and fashion, a testament to his enduring legacy. #Basquiat #commedesgarcons #fashionhistory #fyp #viralvideo Smalltown Boy - Bronski Beat
Never before has an auction provided such an expansive overview of one of contemporary fashion's most avant-garde brands. Founded in 1973 by Rei Kawakubo, the label profoundly redefined traditional concepts of beauty, silhouette, and garment construction through an approach that is both radical and intellectual.
The selection spans the brand's entire history across its various creative decades. For the 1970s period, the auction offers 18 exceptional lots tracing Kawakubo’s formative years in Japan before her landmark 1981 Paris debut - an absolute rarity on the market. The exhibition also features key 1980s pieces that pushed fashion construction to new limits, including designs from the very first Paris presentation. Other lots showcase deconstructed runway silhouettes from the 1990s and 2000s, topped off by explosive, hyper-colorful ensembles from the 2010s looking to find new homes among brand aficionados.
Focus on key lots
A remarkably rare testament to Rei Kawakubo’s early career in Japan, a 1970s coat anticipates the monochrome palette, asymmetry, and voluminous tailoring that would define the brand in subsequent decades.
An ensemble from the inaugural 1981 Paris presentation stands out with its intricate horn button arrangements and voluminous cropped trousers. The jacket features traditional menswear buttoning, directly echoing the brand’s name: "Comme des Garçons" (Like Boys).