Comme des Garçons Boutique (Paris, France)

I've always had a soft spot for Comme des Garçons, rivaled only by my fascination with certain Belgian designers. There's something about the unconventional nature of such labels, not just the designs themselves, but the anti-fashion philosophy, that I still find refreshing in a day and age when big flashy flagships and blinged up clothes seem to be there to distract rather than represent any sort of concept. Even though Comme des Garçons isn't originally a French brand, I'm sure Parisians would argue otherwise considering they'll happily adopt anything Japanese as their own (Kenzo, Yohji Yamamoto and thus Limi Feu are in the same boat). Then again, a label with a French name, who's designer has a residence in the French capital and shows at Paris Fashion Week is probably enough to make this brand local enough. In any case, it is well worth visiting if you're ever in Europe, considering it's only one of two stores left on the continent that's dedicated to all things CdG.

FW09 runway looks (images: style.com).

Earlier this year, I was happy to stumble upon a Comme des Garçons Guerilla Store. These tiny stores in non-fashion capitals usually housed in old warehouses or sheds were Rei Kawakubo's answer to creating an anti-flagship. Unfortunately I just learned that it recently closed down, meaning that all Guerilla Stores have disappeared for now. It's no secret that Kawakubo is a genius: she had no formal training in fashion design (she studied fine arts and literature), so she conveys her ideas verbally to her patternmakers. After working as a freelance stylist, she founded the CdG label in 1973 and in 1981 moved to Paris to present her collections during Fashion Week, causing quite the stir with her black, distressed, often unconventionally structured architectural pieces. Of coure these days you'll also find slightly more toned-down items in her collection, along with a huge selection of other CdG sub-labels ranging from 'Shirt' to 'Play' to 'Tricot'. What's truly remarkable is how strongly involved Kawakubo is in all aspects of her brand, although I'm still surprised a CdG homepage doesn't exist. Her artistic vision encompasses many other areas of design, from graphics to packaging, to costume and exhibition design, to furniture, and to the architecture of her retail spaces. She has pushed the envelope when it comes to retail design, not just with quirky concepts such as the Guerilla Stores, but the most magnificent example is probably still Dover Street Market, the London concept store that puts all others of its kind to shame.

The entrance as seen from the street (left) and the first courtyard (right).

It might seem slightly hypocritical that given her criticism of typical luxury flagships, Dover Street Market and the regular CdG boutiques are actually huge, impressive and situated in fairly prestigious areas. But unlike many other flagships, she prefers to utilize a minimal conceptual design that while striking, also lets the products shine. And in most cases, despite the vast floor space of these flagships, the entrances somehow still manage to remain hidden or are so unobtrusive, you'd walk by if you didn't know the exact location of the store. The Paris outlet is the perfect example. I've known people who've visited several times but never knew the CdG store existed even if they walked along the fashionable rue Faubourg St.-Honoré more than once. There's only a small sign near the main gate, then you have to pass through one courtyard, leading into another, where you'll finally find the of the store on the right.

More casual pieces and CdG 'Noir', as well as bags by World Archive.

Some colorful tartan messenger bags.

The first time I entered this store, I thought I'd accidentally walked into an art gallery. The entire store is kept in red and white. The only furniture you'll find are long rectangular benches and wooden cubes used to display products. The store concept is Kawakubo's of course, who called upon her long-time contractor Takao Kawasaki to help her with this project. According to the designer "making a shop is like making clothes: you need to excite and energize people. There has to be the same shock and sense of surprise" adding that "red is the new black... black is no longer strong and has become harder to use. Red looks most beautiful in fiberglass", referring to the fiberglass walls, furniture and the large counter near the entrance.

Overview of the tunnel-shaped entrance area (left) and more colorful items (right).

The store has a bit of an L-shape, so once you enter, you're in a large horizontal area that leads into a bigger space towards the left. I started browsing the section dedicated to some of the more casual clothes, including 'Noir', 'Shirt' and a few 'Play' items. Many colorful bags were on display on the center table, several of them were non-CdG items from the World Archive range, which are also stocked in Dover Street Market. There were also a few cute signature polka-dot pieces and colorful tartan messenger bags, which were the only splashes of color you could find in the area. I understood how smart it was to make everything red and white, since most of the clothing and accessories have accents of (other) colors or are kept in black.

RTW menswear (left) and yes, these shoes are for the gents as well (right).

Some casual pieces for the men.

Near the main counter/cash desk you'll find smaller accessories such as wallets, as well as perfume. If it's fragrances you're looking for though, CdG also has it's own perfume flagship near Place de Vendôme. The men's area was categorized by sub-label as well, starting with the dressier clothes first - and some very bizarre shoes - then moving on to the casual pieces.

Some SS09 Junya Watanabe items, incl. the colorful denim number (right).

The largest section was dedicated to the women's main line, as well as the collections by Kawakubo's protégés Junya Watanabe and Tao Kurihara. When I went, a lot of the SS09 range was still available, including Watanabe's colorful denim pieces and the cute bolero jackets by Tao.

More Junya Watanabe and Tao items, incl. the fabulous Tao jacket (right).

I also spied more of the chiffon tutu dresses and entire racks of the more structured clothing. If you're wondering who would wear some of the more unconventional pieces, I can tell you that while I was browsing, a woman wearing a padded black architectural CdG dress entered the store and started looking around as well. It was a bit 'too much', but she looked stunning in the outfit. In fact, the store was fairly busy and had a relatively relaxed atmosphere, so while I'm sure some would still consider it intimidating because of the stark decor, it's actually more pleasant to shop than some of the more typical flagships, such as Givenchy or Lanvin down the street.

RTW women's wear and items from other sub-labels.

I'm not going to bore you with every item I saw, because to be honest, I can't even remember half the stuff I sighted. The selection is huge, since every single CdG sub-label is represented here. I would like to note that there's also a 'chill-out-zone' on the other side of the boutique, where more of the 'Play' items can be found. It tends to be closed, but you can ask them to open it up for you, if you need something. The chill-out area consists of red cubes that glide across the floor (via remote I assume).

Still loving those tulle dresses (right).

The 'Shirt' collection (left) and the chill-out-zone with it's moving cubes (right image: designboom.com).

So now that I've told you exactly where the store is and how to find the entrance, there's no excuse not to visit the flagship when you're in town. It makes for a nice change from the LV, Gucci, Prada type of shopping you'll find in the area.

Junya Watanabe FW09 (images: style.com).

Tao FW09 (images: style.com).

Address: 54 rue Faubourg Saint-Honoré, 75008 Paris
Opening Hrs: Mon-Sat: 11:00-19:00