The world of high fashion has long been associated with exclusivity, luxury, and unattainable beauty standards. From the gilded salons of 19th-century Paris to the modern-day runways of Milan and New York, high fashion has served as a symbol of social status, power, and wealth. Central to this history of exclusivity are the couture houses, meticulously crafted garments, and limited access to fashion’s inner circle. While many fashion houses embraced these traditions, Comme Des Garcons, under the leadership of Rei Kawakubo, has disrupted the norms, challenging the traditional exclusivity of high fashion with an avant-garde approach that defies categorization.
This article delves into the historical origins of exclusivity in high fashion, tracing its roots, evolution, and eventual challenges posed by groundbreaking designers like Kawakubo, who questioned the boundaries of fashion, art, and accessibility.
1. The Birth of Haute Couture
High fashion, or haute couture, traces its origins back to the mid-19th century in Paris, when Charles Frederick Worth, often referred to as the “father of haute couture,” opened the first couture house in 1858. Worth’s designs, which were custom-made for his wealthy clientele, emphasized opulence, exclusivity, and the highest standards of craftsmanship. This marked the beginning of high fashion as we know it today—bespoke garments created for the elite.
The Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture, established in 1868, ensured that only a select few designers could claim the haute couture label. Strict rules dictated who could be a member, from the number of pieces required per collection to the number of employees in the atelier. Haute couture was not just about fashion but about maintaining a certain elite social structure, where only the wealthiest could afford these custom-made garments.
2. High Fashion as a Symbol of Status
From its inception, high fashion was tied to social status. In the early 20th century, Parisian designers like Coco Chanel and Christian Dior further solidified haute couture’s association with wealth and prestige. Fashion shows were invitation-only events, where only the upper echelons of society—aristocrats, Hollywood stars, and socialites—had access.
Clothing was more than just a necessity; it became a powerful symbol of one’s place in society. Wearing a garment from a top-tier fashion house not only signified wealth but also taste, culture, and exclusivity. This divide between high fashion and the masses persisted throughout the early 20th century, creating an impenetrable barrier for the majority of people who admired fashion but couldn’t afford to participate in its rarified world.
3. Post-War Expansion and the New Fashion Elite
Following World War II, high fashion underwent significant changes. Designers like Christian Dior ushered in a new era of luxury with the creation of the New Look in 1947, which featured hourglass silhouettes and voluminous skirts. This return to lavishness came at a time when many economies were recovering from the war, and haute couture continued to cater to the wealthy elite. It was an era where fashion houses focused on serving their exclusive clientele through private appointments and custom fittings.
During this period, the fashion elite became increasingly synonymous with the old money aristocracy and the emerging Hollywood star system. Fashion photographers and magazines like Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar helped to cement the idea that high fashion was only for the rich and famous. Exclusive fashion houses continued to thrive, but they also began to seek new ways to reach a broader, international audience through ready-to-wear lines. Despite this, the divide between haute couture and everyday fashion remained stark.
4. The Emergence of Ready-to-Wear: A Challenge to Exclusivity
In the 1960s, the exclusivity of high fashion began to face challenges. The rise of ready-to-wear (prêt-à-porter) fashion lines marked the first real democratization of luxury fashion. Designers like Yves Saint Laurent began to introduce collections that, while still high-quality, were not custom-made and could be produced in larger quantities.
Ready-to-wear allowed designers to expand their reach beyond the ultra-wealthy. For the first time, women who weren’t part of the social elite could afford designer garments, albeit at a lower tier than haute couture. However, despite this increased accessibility, haute couture remained the pinnacle of exclusivity, with its exorbitant price tags and the mystique surrounding its limited availability.
5. The Rise of Comme Des Garçons: An Avant-Garde Approach
By the time Rei Kawakubo launched Comme Des Garçons in 1969, the landscape of high fashion was beginning to shift. Kawakubo’s approach to fashion was revolutionary because it challenged not only the visual aesthetics of high fashion but also the social constructs surrounding it.
Kawakubo’s debut in Paris in 1981 shocked the fashion world with her unconventional, deconstructed designs. At a time when fashion was still largely about enhancing beauty and displaying wealth, Kawakubo’s designs rejected traditional notions of femininity, luxury, and perfection. commedesgarcons Her pieces, often in black and featuring raw, unfinished hems, focused on concept rather than adornment. This approach challenged the very foundations of haute couture, which had long been based on ideas of perfection, excess, and class distinction.
6. Comme Des Garçons and the Rejection of Traditional Exclusivity
One of the most significant ways in which Comme Des Garçons disrupted the exclusivity of high fashion was by making garments that were more about artistic expression than about status symbols. Kawakubo’s designs were not meant to cater to the wealthy elite alone but to anyone who could appreciate her avant-garde vision. Her approach to fashion was intellectual, and in many ways, anti-commercial, which paradoxically gave her an appeal beyond the traditional couture market.
While her garments were still priced in line with high fashion, Kawakubo’s work had a democratizing effect because it rejected the elitist conventions of what luxury clothing should look like. Her designs invited people to question their perceptions of beauty, wearability, and value, making fashion less about social status and more about individual identity.
7. Collaborations and Accessibility
In addition to her avant-garde designs, Kawakubo also contributed to the democratization of high fashion through her collaborations with more mainstream brands. Starting in the early 2000s, high-fashion collaborations with mass-market brands began to emerge as a way to bridge the gap between exclusivity and accessibility.
Comme Des Garçons’ collaborations with brands like H&M, Nike, and Supreme were groundbreaking because they allowed the average consumer to purchase a piece of Kawakubo’s vision at an affordable price. These collaborations were still limited in quantity, maintaining an element of exclusivity, but they democratized high fashion by giving the broader public access to designer fashion.
8. Breaking the Gender Binary: A New Kind of Accessibility
Another important way Kawakubo challenged exclusivity was by rejecting the gender binary in her designs. Throughout the history of high fashion, clothing had been rigidly divided into men’s and women’s wear. Comme Des Garçons blurred these lines by creating androgynous silhouettes and pieces that defied traditional gender norms. In doing so, Kawakubo made high fashion more accessible to those who didn’t fit into conventional gender categories, further breaking down the barriers of exclusivity in the industry.
9. Comme Des Garçons’ Legacy in Fashion Accessibility
Kawakubo’s approach to high fashion has had a lasting influence on the industry. While haute couture continues to exist in an exclusive world, designers like Kawakubo have proven that fashion can be both high-end and accessible to a broader range of people. Her legacy continues to inspire new generations of designers who challenge the norms of luxury fashion and seek to create collections that resonate beyond the elite few.
Conclusion
The historical origins of exclusivity in high fashion were deeply rooted in social status, wealth, and the rigid structures of haute couture. However, the rise of designers like Rei Kawakubo and Comme Des Garçons has played a critical role in challenging these traditions. Through avant-garde designs, mainstream collaborations, and a rejection of conventional beauty standards, Comme Des Garçons has helped to redefine the meaning of exclusivity in fashion. Kawakubo’s work continues to inspire designers who seek to bridge the gap between luxury fashion and mainstream culture, ultimately making fashion a more inclusive and democratic space.