Rei Kawakubo
Japanese fashion designer who deconstructed Western beauty standards through avant-garde designs
As founder of Comme des Garçons (1969), Rei Kawakubo challenged fashion norms with her Met-exhibited 'lumps and bumps' collection. Her radical approaches include:
- Introducing black as fashion staple (1981 Paris debut)
- Designing 'non-fashion' garments with intentional imperfections
- Commercializing deconstructionist aesthetics
Kawakubo's 18 unconventional business strategies transformed luxury retail:
| No traditional advertising | Mystery runway shows |
| Anti-fit clothing | Guerilla store concepts |
The V&A Museum estimates her work influenced 3 generations of designers. Despite industry resistance, Kawakubo built a $280M empire while maintaining complete creative control.