A Closed Feeling

Riviere Fougy

thumbnail_riviere-fougy.jpg

riviere-fougy.jpg

When people hear the name ‘Comme des Garcons’, a wide variety of images and feelings pop up, proving that the Japanese brand has created an aesthetic universe of its own. This masterful execution of fashion world building couldn't have been fully expanded upon without the catalyst that was the SIX Magazine. Created in 1988, SIX served as a breeding ground for experimental branding with a small twist: the branding rarely (if ever) involved Comme des Garcons’ own clothing. Instead of falling back on conventional methods of fashion advertising, the bi-annual publication incorporated non fashion related artwork and photography to convey the Japanese brand’s collections. SIX also tapped into a wide array of creatives who sometimes weren’t even involved in the industry, and yet this is exactly what gave fashion a breath of fresh air. Not only did SIX solidify Comme des Garcons as an entire entity of its own, it also changed our own perception of fashion to this very day.

SIX Number 6

NEO TOKYO IS ABOUT TO EXPLODE. This instantly recognizable phrase is from one of the anime industry’s most iconic films, Akira by Katsuhiro Otomo. From the movie’s explosion in popularity to its dedicated cult following, Otomo became increasingly known for his range of enigmatic creations. As such, it came as no surprise that Rei Kawakubo would collaborate with him for Comme des Garcons’ Spring/Summer 2013 Campaign. The artwork from the campaign features characters, scenes and manga pages from Akira, and are seamlessly combined with Otomo’s more standalone art pieces. This collage of imagery results in the form of familiar yet alien pieces of works, drawing parallels with CDG’s deconstructed and raw clothing of the 80’s. The collaboration has proven to stand the test of time, with the collaboration’s prints and items still being sought after to this very day.

Katsuhiro Otomo for Comme des Garcons DM 18

SIX Number 4

In the midst of the 1990s, the world bore witness to a force to be reckoned with: Japan’s Urahara Streetwear Movement. The movement was a positive feedback loop between all of Tokyo’s underground creatives - look no further than the likes of Tetsu Nishiyama of WTAPS, legendary graphic designer Sk8thing, and Hikaru of Bounty Hunter, all of whom began their respective journeys in the same cultural melting pot. But of course, the Urahara Movement can’t be discussed without mentioning the impact of magazine segment ‘Last Orgy.’

Created by legendary Japanese Hip-Hop duo Tiny Panx, Last Orgy gained the reputation for being a taste-making phenomenon. Tiny Panx eventually distanced themselves from their creation, passing the torch to two newcomers to the scene: Jun Takahashi of Undercover and NIGO of A Bathing Ape. Both in their mid-20s, the infamous streetwear tag team continued Last Orgy’s legacy of curation and taste making through ‘Last Orgy 2’, from showcasing covetable items to news from the underground scene and more. Last Orgy 2 was a source that, to all involved, was the pinnacle of creative hope for years to come.

Made possible by donations from several fashion enthusiasts in the community, this issue of Last Orgy 2 has now been fully translated. Those who have a curiosity for pre-internet streetwear memorabilia now have the chance to delve even deeper.

Last Orgy 2, Issue 13 with Translation

From interviews with Martin Margiela himself to photos of avant-garde creations made of recycled objects, the designer's pandora box of creativity flows freely in Cream Issue 09, with his uninhibited creativity being on full display.

Cream Issue 09


The 'Yohji Yamamoto Memories' book acts as a retrospective of some of his most notable advertisements and editorial images. He has had quite a long career as a fashion designer, first starting out in the 70’s. The book mostly covers his work through the 80’s and 90’s and offers us a look behind the dark curtain of Yohji Yamamoto’s creative vision and meticulous design process. Some of the images show him working on choosing and tailoring the garments as well as some of his original sketches for runway looks which are stunning. Many of the photographs in the book were run in high-end fashion magazines like Vogue or Marie Claire, and Yamamoto had the pleasure of working with a lot famous fashion photographers at the time like Paolo Roversi, Nick Knight, Arthur Elgort, and David Sims. Some of Yamamoto’s most famous advertisements and campaigns can be viewed in this book and gives us a phenomenal insight into the world of Yohji Yamamoto.

Yohji Yamamoto Memoires

This Universe of Fashion book was released in 1998 under Rei Kawakubo’s Comme des Garcons label and features iconic advertisements and photographs used in CDG's Direct Mail ads. As described in the short article from Universe of Fashion, Rei Kawakubo is an honest and sincere designer, and enjoys working and collaborating with creatives and artists of all types. She loves experimenting with other artists including photographers, graphic designers, architects, and even floral artists. After looking through some of the Direct Mail ads, it is clear that Kawakubo really enjoys the process of working alongside other people and how she can trust other artists with her vision. Universe of Fashion also explains her interest in photography and color, both of which have directly impacted the clothing she makes and the imagery she puts out to represent her brand Comme Des Garçcons.

Universe of Fashion: Comme des Garcons

Katsuhiro Otomo for Comme des Garcons DM 13

Last Orgy 2, Issue 11 with Translation

In 2015, Undercover designer Jun Takahashi launched a retrospective exhibition in commemoration of his brand’s 25th anniversary. The exhibition went into great detail on the cult brand’s history and designs, from the early days being stocked in Ura-Harajuku’s NOWHERE store, to an expansive selection of runway looks and designs surrounding the brand’s unique vision. Labyrinth of Undercover was released alongside this exhibition, featuring select looks from all of Undercover’s runway shows, from 1994 to 2015. In addition to the runway looks is also a full list of collections with descriptions of the corresponding themes and meanings. The book eloquently serves as a time capsule through which readers can grasp a substantial understanding of the cult brand's legacy from the 90s to the modern day.

Labyrinth of Undercover

Katsuhiro Otomo for Comme des Garcons DM 17

Rei Kawakubo has been perpetually pushing the fashion world forward through Comme Des Garcons since her designs first hit the market in 1969, and her SS1997 show ‘Body Meets Dress, Dress Meets Body’ was no exception. Featuring bumpy, asymmetrical lumps without rhyme or rhythm, the season was just as perplexing during that time as it is now. However, the manner in which this season was advertised may shed some light on Kawakubo’s intent and inspiration. Featured in CDG SIX 1/4 in collaboration with Visionaire No. 20, the advertising images were featured next to photos of seafood and various crustaceans of similar colors. In the amorphous designs of that season, Kawakubo may have been referencing humanity's genetic origins, or perhaps even the way forms mutate and shift over millennia as evolution takes its course.

SIX 1/4

High fashion is notoriously known for its displays of status and extravagance, so much so that it overshadows the creative genius of those who reside within the industry. But despite its outward projection of affluence and aspiration, many fall victim to its financial burdens, with a countless number designers and brands falling into the wayside as a result. Though many try to hide these struggles behind displays of success, Yohji Yamamoto heads in the opposite direction through his book ‘My Dear Bomb’. A byproduct of Yamamoto’s struggles with the bankruptcy of his company in 2009, the book acts as a canvas through which he expresses his inner thoughts, turmoils and sensibilities. A rare look into the mind of fashion’s most respected designers of our time, the contents of ’My Dear Bomb’ range from his philosophical thoughts to personal design principles, thoughts on the human body, relationships with women, poetic sensibilities, and more.

My Dear Bomb

Katsuhiro Otomo for Comme des Garcons DM 1

This Spring/Summer 1996 collection from Undercover, easily named 'Under The Cover', welcomes us into the young creative mind of budding designer Jun Takahashi. The book was created along with the collection and gives us a brief look at drawings Takahashi had made in order to design and produce the garments. He used monster-type figures you would see in horror movies as models for the collection. The book shows us behind the scenes photos as well as detailing how the masks and characters were created. The cenobyte-type figures seem as if they are trapped in some colorful prison or hospital and all wore clothing that matched the design of their complex features. The color blocking walls surrounded the figures, sometimes posed with objects and small environments, as if each were in their own cell. 

Under the Cover

The Number (N)ine Smart Magazine special, published by Takarajimasha on September 15, 2005, is the quintessential guide for Number (N)ine’s AW2005 collection, 'The High Streets.' It includes photoshoots, interviews, an item catalog, and a retrospective of the brand from SS2001 to AW2005. When most people think of this collection, an image of the infamous hybrid cargo pants conjures up in their minds, and while it is definitely a hallmark of the season, there is more to it that often gets overlooked.

The season as a whole is a hybridization of Native American and grunge culture. There are some items that have an obvious influence, such as the furs, feathers, and fringe that decorate many of the outfits. The grunge garments are flannels, jeans, and Cobain style sunglasses. It may sound all over the place, but the photoshoots present in the magazine show how well these themes work together. The catalog gives a glimpse at the retail prices for the season, ranging from around $400 to $4000.

A fun fact about this book is that it also came with an appendix that included two pins and a rubber ring, each bearing The High Streets insignia.

SMART Magazine Special

Last Orgy 2, Issue 10 with Translation

SIX Number 5

Throughout Undercover’s two and a half decade run, Jun Takahashi printed and had numerous graphics featured on t-shirts, with graphics ranging widely in purpose and aesthetic. In Undercover's 'TGRAPHICS' book, many of these unique and wide ranging prints are explored and shown off in both textile and original art forms. The art featured in this book stretches from before Undercover was even its own brand entity, to its more recent work from 2015. Some key highlights include work from Takahashi's time in the Tokyo Sex Pistols, prints from SS2003 'SCAB', AW2001 'D.A.V.F.', and many other celebrated seasons. From punk inspired works to the more high art minded pieces, Undercover has truly done it all.

TGRAPHICS

Number (N)ine still exists today, however the soul and spark of the brand is long gone, with Takahiro Miyashita having left Number (N)ine following the presentation of “A CLOSED FEELING” in 2009. This leaving of Number (N)ine marked for many the end of Takahiro Miyashita’s brainchild. In this rare feature, translated with the help of the ARCHIVE.pdf community, the designer talks about his life, his early youth, hooliganism, and even his deeply held feelings of sadness. This feature also contain interviews with those close to Miyashita, as well as and quotes from designers, along with the design team. This booklet seems to act as a swan song, marking the end of this period of Miyashita’s life, and allowing closure while still providing comfort and reflection towards the beautiful legacy he left at Number (N)ine. While quite somber and at times saddening, the feature ends on a rather mixed note, with the writer encouraging Miyashita to “KEEP BURNING” rather than too merely fade away.

Truth of Number (N)ine

Last Orgy 2, Issue 17 with Translation

Last Orgy 2, Issue 16 with Translation

Katsuhiro Otomo for Comme des Garcons DM 25

Last Orgy 2, Issue 14 with Translation


Although his first collection was released in Japan in 1977, it wasn’t until the mid 80’s and 90’s that Yohji Yamamoto became an influential name in the world of fashion. Photographer David Sims shot these impressive images for Yamamoto’s Autumn/Winter 1995 lookbook, one of the designer’s more symbolic collections from the 90’s. The use of flat color of the simple backdrops really allows the sparse color and details of the pieces to stand out. These bright images are mixed with black and white photos and still lifes that contribute to the overall artistic style of the book. This is an impressive selection of images that shows us one of Yohji’s collections from the height of his career and influence in the 1990’s.

AW1995 Lookbook

Released in very limited amounts in 1997, Comme des Garcons Visionnaire 20 was a rare peek back into the archives of Rei Kawakubo and Comme des Garcons. The book itself was highly limited, with only 2,800 copies being produced, and each one being hand numbered. What's contained within the pages of this book is more interesting than its limited nature.

Rather than merely having Kawakubo and her label's staff put together outfits, she decided to let other visionaries such as Karl Lagerfeld, Alexander McQueen, and Nick Knight each put together looks for the book. By digging through CDG archives stretching back as far as 1982, each creator had a wide array of garments to choose from. What resulted from this meeting of creative minds is nothing short of genius, with each participant producing radically different images. Ranging from metal restraints, to the streets of Hong Kong, the outfits fused the avant-garde works of CDG with a wide variety of fashion philosophies and settings. The looks themselves are marvelous, with some being glitzy and glamorous, while others toyed with darker themes. The book itself is now considered a collectors item, with prices ranging anywhere from 1,000-2,000 USD.

CDG and by extension Kawakubo are best known for their avant-garde works, which range all the way from deconstructed garments to fragrances. The theme that has tied decades of her and CDGs’ work together has been the commitment to being unflinchingly artistic. In this book, she let artists take her work out of this context, and create something new out of her existing ideas, in a quite rare move for Kawakubo. The outfits featured in the book mainly show the stylist’s idea of fashion, but like darkness creeping across the land, Kawakubo's influence shadows and lords over all of it.

Visionaire 20: Comme des Garcons

Designer Issey Miyake and photographer Irving Penn first met in New York City in the 80’s. Penn and Miyake kicked it off and eventually Irving Penn flew to Japan to photograph the early days of Miyake’s Design Studio. Penn was able to view the behind the scenes of Miyake’s experimenting with his process of creating the pleats for “Pleats Please!”. The book shows some of Miyake’s most famous pieces in beautiful detail photographed on clean white backdrops with bright light to capture the pleat pattern. The models all were draped in garments of bright colors and intricate patterns and pose in an almost theatrical manner. During this time in the 80’s Miyake had been working with several ballets and theatre plays doing costume design. As a child he also had always wanted to be a dancer so we continue to see these performance arts inspiring Miyake with further collections. The photos were used as advertisements for Issey Miyake, they also made this limited run book of the stunning photographs the two artists collaborated on in the 80’s.

Issey Miyake Photographs by Irving Penn

Katsuhiro Otomo for Comme des Garcons DM 24

Overwhelmed by hype, many newcomers to fashion find themselves uninformed on the true cultural impact of Raf Simons; Look no further than the flexing of his pieces on Instagram and people bragging of purchasing his archival garments for thousands of dollars. To counteract this superficial point of view, we need to equip ourselves with the knowledge necessary to truly understand Raf’s work. One such article of knowledge is the iconic book: Raf Simons Redux. From his very first collection to the now iconic collections such as ‘Consumed’ and ‘Riot! Riot! Riot!,’ Redux takes you into the true essence of Raf Simons. The content ranges from photos illustrating youth and the counterculture, to various works the delve into his philosophy and more. Combined with Raf Simons’ ‘The Fourth Sex’ book, Redux will forever change your understanding of this designer for the best.

Raf Simons Redux

Katsuhiro Otomo for Comme des Garcons DM 5

Last Orgy 2, Issue 15 with Translation

Katsuhiro Otomo for Comme des Garcons DM 14

Last Orgy 2, Issue 23 with Translation

Last Orgy 2, Special Edition with Translation


Jun Takahashi has always been known as an innovative designer who loves referencing history, culture, and his own personal life in his works. This particular 2011 season is yet another example of this endeavor, as depicted in the 2011 'UNDERMAN' Photo Book. The SS2011 Undercover collection titled 'UNDERMAN' features a fictional hero in the year 20XX who restores lost souls incapacitated by the forces of evil. With the story and costume design by Takahashi and photography by Katsuhide Morimoto, Underman was Takahashi's portrayal of Japanese superheroes through fashion. Besides the extensive clothing collection, Takahashi also created a lookbook using a booklet binder of trading cards and a set of miniature figurines in collaboration with Medicom Toy.

Underman Photo Book

Last Orgy 2, Issue 12 with Translation

Though many passionate followers of Undercover would say that its greatest collection to date is SS2003 ‘SCAB,’ a select few would state otherwise. During the winter of 2005 Undercover presented ‘T,’ an esoteric collection that incorporated the concept of deconstruction and reconstruction. From the religious symbology on the runway to the designs of fictional German bands under the equally fictional record label ‘Undercover Records,’ many found 'T' to rival the likes Undercover’s earlier collections by a long shot. Many found it to be reminiscent of Maison Martin Margiela’s work; this is not a surprise given that Jun Takahashi was influenced by Martin himself as well as Rei Kawakubo of Comme des Garçons. In commemoration of this collection, the Cream Spring Edition book was released solely through Undercover’s Hong Kong store. It features backstage photography of the construction of the collection, sketches of the various clothes and designs by Jun Takahashi, photos of the runway, various interviews from both Jun and Undercover staff, and more. This combination of aesthetics and valuable information only brings its reader deeper into the world of Undercover and 'T'.

Cream Spring Edition Issue 04

SIX Number 3

Japanese cultural icon Hiroshi Fujiwara and Jun Takahashi of Undercover have created this publication as an ode to Seditionaries. With Fujiwara working under Westwood and McLaren during the 80s and Takahashi being the lead singer of the Tokyo Sex Pistols, it comes as no surprise that Seditionaries would impact both individuals’ achievements at a profound level. The clothing featured were collected by both individuals since the mid 80s to early 90s, each carefully preserved and cherished over the course of decades. With the publication amassing over 350 items, this Seditionaires collection stands the test of time, giving birth to both new fashion enthusiasts and designers around the world.

Jun Takahashi and Hiroshi Fujiwara Seditionaries Collection Book

Letting Alan and Bê tell their amazing stories. It’s time to give them their flowers.

From Boston to the World: A Conversation With Alan & Bê Bilzerian

large_number_n_ine_truth_of_number_n_ine_1_7e27eaf422.webp

medium_number_n_ine_truth_of_number_n_ine_1_7e27eaf422.webp

small_number_n_ine_truth_of_number_n_ine_1_7e27eaf422.webp

thumbnail_number_n_ine_truth_of_number_n_ine_1_7e27eaf422.webp

number_n_ine_truth_of_number_n_ine_1_7e27eaf422.webp


Started in 1997 by designer Takahiro Miyashita, Number (N)ine has always been a hit in Japan, with a devoted fan base remaining to this day. Due to the rise of archive fashion in recent years, Number (N)ine has quickly garnered attention in the West. With piqued interest, more information has become available to us, with runway footage, editorial scans, and interviews to name a few, with more being uncovered by the day.

Although the brand started in 1997, the first two years consisted of establishing its standards and creating basic items. It started to get more creative two years later, with a total of 21 unique seasons spanning from 1999 to 2009. Fashion shows were conducted in Japan from 2000-2003, and shows in Paris were from 2004-2009. The brand name stems from the Beatles song 'Revolution 9,' a cacophony of musical elements with monotonous vocals repeating the words “number nine,” over and over. Frequent references to Kurt Cobain, The Beatles, and various other musical artists allow this brand to become instantly appealing to any music lover. Yet, the brand is also accessible to anyone due to its streetwear aesthetic at first glance; Americana and grunge themes are ubiquitous, and always find their way into the collections. The more you look into the brand however, the more you appreciate the subtle details and references prevalent everywhere. A melancholy tinge paints over the brand, with a somber atmosphere for some of the shows, and clothing being affixed with references to pain and sorrow. This comes as no surprise, with Mr. Miyashita being no stranger to reflecting on his mental hardships. He even thanked his doctors on the back of the staff tee shirt for SSAW2003. Number (N)ine becomes the literal embodiment of the phrase “wearing your heart on your sleeve.”

It is no surprise that Number (N)ine remains relevant to this day, most likely because of Mr. Miyashita’s seamless blending of musical elements and meticulously crafted garments. Through his work, we can begin to appreciate the connection between these two different mediums of art, giving rise to a truly unique experience which separates him from the rest. Although Number (N)ine under Takahiro Miyashita has been defunct since February 20th, 2010 (Kurt Cobain’s birthday), his legacy now continues through his current brand TAKAHIROMIYASHITATheSoloist.

FASHION SCANS: NUMBER (N)INE