Between 1983 and 1993, Rei Kawakubo expanded the vast Comme des Garcons umbrella to include furniture design. Just as she would say that she was not interested in fashion, Rei Kawakubo is not interested in furniture design. To her, furniture was secondary. It was a means to elevate her collections and create a complete environmental setting for her clothes.
While setting up the Comme des Garcons stores in Tokyo and Pairs, Rei looked to enhance the surrounding objects’ atmosphere, Kawakubo believes that everything is interconnected. She considers these objects as temporary; they are not to be used regularly and are hardly functional. It was a move towards sculptural design rather than furniture.
Rei began by designing a shape and choosing materials that mirror her clothing collections' tone. The materials used for these pieces were relatively simple; they included metals and woods that were reworked into galvanized aluminum chairs and angular workbenches.
While setting up the Comme des Garcons stores in Tokyo and Pairs, Rei looked to enhance the surrounding objects’ atmosphere, Kawakubo believes that everything is interconnected. She considers these objects as temporary; they are not to be used regularly and are hardly functional. It was a move towards sculptural design rather than furniture.
Rei began by designing a shape and choosing materials that mirror her clothing collections' tone. The materials used for these pieces were relatively simple; they included metals and woods that were reworked into galvanized aluminum chairs and angular workbenches.