Was she using pinstripe to rail against our overlords? For AW25, Rei Kawakubo took traditional businesswear, then mangled and distorted it – a comment, perhaps, on how corporate agendas can distort cultures (just look at all those billionaires bending the knee to Trump).

The designer didn’t mention him, or Musk or Bezos, but did release a statement about her Comme des Garçons show, which was titled Smaller Is Stronger. “There is strong value in small. Small can be mighty,” she said.

Her own approach to business is to stay independent, because that’s the only way freedom, her most prized possession, can be guaranteed. Her husband and collaborator, Adrian Joffe, expanded in the statement, saying, “She thinks we’re a little bit tired of big business, big culture and global systems. What about the small things that happen over all continents, everywhere – aren’t they global, that’s not big?”

If business suits are a sign of order and conformity, in Kawakubo’s hands they become uncontrollable, chaotic, disruptive. A rippling column of masculine pinstripe, a houndstooth jumpsuit of jutting, angular distortions and a bulbous Prince of Wales-check dress and matching jacket were masterpieces of complex pattern-cutting. These suits were worn with conjoined felt trilbies (two crowns, one hat) with fringed or swagged brims. Kawakubo then introduced feminine dresses, layered Russian-doll style on top of each other, from small to large. They were worn with huge velvet lobster-claw gloves.

Viewed from the side, many of the pieces had a voluptuousness, which swelled at the bust, belly and hips, as if the silhouette was based on ancient fertility symbols. It summed up the trajectory of the collection as it morphed from a broken, corrupted masculinity into the divine feminine.

@commedesgarcons

COMME DES GARÇONS: STRONG SUIT
Photographer RICHARD BURBRIDGE
Fashion Editor SOPHIA NEOPHITOU
Text CLAUDIA CROFT
Models KUANY ATEM at City Models, MARIE-AGNES DIENE at The Claw, NYAJUOK KUETH at Makers, TYA GOHIN and LISE SAUVE at Women 360 Management and YULIA BULAKHTINA at Elite
Hair YUKA SUZUKI
Make-up MARION ROBINE at Calliste Agency using MANASI 7
Manicurist SYLVIE VACCA at Call My Agent using MANUCURIST
Digital operator DEVIN DOYLE
Photographer’s assistants JESSE RUSSELL and PIERRE SENECHAL
Fashion assistants ALISA DATSENKO at Noob Agency and GEORGIA EDWARDS
Hair assistant MIWAKO BERG
Make-up assistants SOFIA MAICHE and JULIETTE SIMONET
Manicurist’s assistant TESSIDY SOLEIL
Casting SIX WOLVES
Production SONYA MAZURYK
Special thanks to MARILYN PORLAN and KARA MECKE

Clothing throughout by COMME DES GARCONS AW25, headpieces throughout by NOBUKI HIZUME, shoes throughout by COMME DES GARCONS X PHILEO
On the cover NYAJUOK wears COMME DES GARCONS