I've always liked oversized clothing for its ease and comfort. Living in Cambodia I have come to rely on some great pieces that are generous in its fabric and sizing. Even in my designs I like it a bit shapeless and enveloping. There is something quite dramatic about ample fabrics that trail, drape and cocoon the body. I think it takes a bit of strong personality to pull off a shapeless frock. All the people I know who have similar taste in clothing as I am are not afraid to stand out.
I keep thinking of what message such style of dressing conveys. Is it a negation of the natural body shape? Is it a reaction towards preconceived notion of sexiness? Is it an abstraction of form and function?
Rei Kawakubo's work for Comme des Garcons has always been in the forefront of challenging the way we think of clothing. The piece above from the tricot Comme des Garcons line doesn't seem to represent those ideals nor make you question fashion in an intellectual way. It's basically a t-shirt dress that renders the body shapeless like a piece of log draped in black fabric. Am I overthinking and looking for something that is not there?
Then I realized the magnitude of how Comme des Garcons has come to represent the avant-grade for me. It has become the embodiment of the avant-garde not solely in it's constant experimentation and questioning of the politics of dressing. It had transcended beyond that and come to represent everything avant-garde even to the point of me questioning the intention of a simple t-shirt dress. I crave to know the concept and the vision behind the piece. Yes, I am looking for something that is practically not tangible but comes with every CdG piece. To make you question, that is the genius of Rei Kawakubo.
top - tricot Comme des Garcons
bottom - DP drop crotch pants
shoes - Converse
bag - ArtBerg