Think art is boring? Well, you’re wrong. Art can be manifested through just about any medium today so there’s bound to be something the average high school student would enjoy. Check out these featured contemporary artists and hopefully you’ll find that art can be a lot more exciting than you previously believed.
Regardless of whether you are particularly interested in high fashion, it is fair to assume that such clothing is, at times, more art than merely apparel. Many established fashion houses are not so much prominent or popular because of the clothing they produce but because of the ideas their creations communicate. Fashion is more complicated than simply the creation and modeling of clothing.
Enter Comme des Garçons (“Like the Boys”), the Japanese fashion label run by Rei Kawakubo that produces clothing that is far different from the typical, glamorous aesthetic of most prominent fashion labels. The label is unique in the sense that its clothing is often surreal and somewhat bizarre, open to interpretation by those who view it.
Despite possessing a rather polarizing method of design, Comme des Garçons has infiltrated popular culture outside of the ranks of fashion intellectuals. The company has worked with brands ranging from the cheap-chic H&M to the ultra-luxurious Louis Vuitton. Unlike most fashion labels that are determined to make clothing that is simply pretty, extravagant or trendy, Comme des Garçons defies the norm by incorporating highly conceptual messages into its collections.
Beginning in the late ‘60s, Comme des Garçons has, over the years, created clothing inspired from Japanese peasantry, developed a line of three-armed jackets and produced turtlenecks that shield the entire face.
Comme des Garçons creates art rather than simply clothing because the apparel produced by the label is meant to be more than just attire. The pieces are unique and designed to be visually intriguing. What Kawakubo designs not only influences more mainstream fashion lines, but also inspires active discussion of what constitutes clothing. Though generally those that wear the label tend to be particularly sartorially daring, Kawakubo’s work can be appreciated for its value as art as well.
