Comme des Garçons Premieres It Bag

When considering news that Comme des Garçons has designed its first Made in Italy bag collection in the company's life span (previously launching the Seatbelt as their debut handbag), thoughts might circle back to founder Rei Kawakubo that may help rationalise this random, titanic occurrence.

Rei Kawakubo has an aura. Her collective influence: a female pioneer in full public view who remains resolutely private; the inherent practicality of Kawakubo’s design and manufacturing concepts that radicalised the modern fashion system; being referenced (google ‘Lilith’); being mocked (google ‘Hiroshima’s Revenge’); how her purely creative approach fostered a global network of devotees (search ‘people wearing comme des garcons’ on IG). Achievements like these essentially define the cultural characteristics of a must-have bag.

Then you think ‘Oh come on, this is Rei Kawakubo.’

Comme des Garçons’ orthodoxy of the new has always abstracted fashion industry obligations as Kawakubo sees fit. This explains the 43-year time period in releasing a statement bag collection. Additionally, this mindset possibly justifies the bag’s existence as a magic object of a different time and place when one usually anticipates such news. The bag range is named Made in Italy, after all.

Kawakubo tentpole notions of space and nothingness represent the size of each bag. They are equally everything — ‘boasting the highest quality of manufacture and material that only Italy can offer’ — and extremely nothing — two inoffensive black, leather bags in small to medium sizes. No large, showy sizes to be found. Black here, like its many Comme des Garçons forebears, represents the color of dissent.

Comme des Garçons’ Made in Italy bag range will debut 12 April, at the Paris shop on 56 Rue du Faubourg