In May, Rei Kawakubo of Comme des Garcons will become the second living fashion designer to be the subject of a Metropolitan Museum of Art exhibit. Kawakubo will join Yves Saint Laurent, who became the first in 1983, when the museum's fashion exhibits fell under the purview of legendary Vogue editor Diana Vreeland. Kawakubo will also be the inspiration for the famous Met Gala, which kicks off the opening of the exhibit in lavish style each year.
As the woman behind Comme Des Garçons, Comme Des Garçons Shirt, Comme des Garcons Play, and Dover Street Market, Kawakubo has left an indelible mark on the industry. Through multiple businesses, the designer has approached fashion from an artistic standpoint, as well as a commercial one. This duality will be explored for the exhibition.
Anna Wintour and the Costume Institute's head curator in charge Andrew Bolton will be joined by Katy Perry and Pharrell Williams as chairs of the exhibit. Bolton's first exhibit as curator, 2016's Manus X Machina, saw record breaking attendance numbers. It seems the museum is betting big on the project, as it will be hosted in the Iris and B. Gerald Exhibition Hall, which is one of the museum’s largest spaces.
In that hall there will be anywhere from 100 to 120 Kawakubo looks, some reaching as far back as her 1981 debut show in Paris. Still, one of the most interesting aspects will no doubt be what celebrities choose to wear to the Gala that, as has become custom, will be held on the first Monday in May, which this year falls on May 1. The exhibition opens to the public May 4.
