KAWAKUBO, Rei

(Tokyo): Comme des Garçons. Ltd, 1989-1991. First edition. Folio. Issues 1-8. A complete set of Comme’s oversized and unstapled bi-annual zine that explored the theme of the sixth sense. Released in tandem with the launch of new CDG collections. A visual and image-driven representation of the collections, the magazines featured contributions from the likes of Bruce Weber, Peter Lindbergh, duo Gilbert & George and fashion designer Azzedine Alaïa. With its bold and gritty imagery and little text the magazine was as much a contemporary art and ideas journal as a fashion magazine. The publication was a prime example of how Kawakubo’s aesthetic vision directed the Comme des Garcons overall image, its graphic design, its advertisements, the atmosphere of her fashion shows, and the minimalist and monochromatic interior design of her stores—a radical approach to retail in the 1980s. All issues in very good condition, issue 5 in three parts as issued. Lacking the original printed bags. Issues housed in two custom boxes. Complete sets provide a unique insight into the avant-garde aesthetic that has come to define Comme des Garçons.