Rei Kawakubo on Black Roses and the Significance of Freedom

This text is taken from the Autumn/Winter 2022 concern of AnOther Journal:

Susannah Frankel: Why did you select to reference black roses on this assortment?

Rei Kawakubo: As a logo of freedom.

SF: Is there any significance to the truth that, in nature, true black roses don’t exist?

RK: The energy of the image lies in the actual fact of its non-existence.

SF: Black roses are a logo of mourning but additionally of anarchy. These are two recurrent themes in your work. Why?

RK: All the time in an unreasonable world I really feel anger at life.

SF: You could have at all times been so keen about freedom. Are you able to clarify why?

RK: I would like freedom to be myself.

SF: Do you are feeling that you’d have a look at the notion of freedom in a different way in the event you had been a person?

RK: Don’t perceive the query.

SF: Do you are feeling that issues have modified for girls, that they’re extra free now?

RK: Don’t perceive the query.

SF: A style present may be banal, it will also be an expression of utmost emotion, scary equally excessive reactions within the individuals watching it. Is it vital to you to impress, to precise emotion and to trigger an emotional response in others? Is that why a dwell present is vital to you?

RK: The purpose of the dwell present is for individuals to see the garments in actual life. It’s a part of the enterprise.

SF: Why is style vital?

RK: It’s one option to specific oneself.

SF: It is just just lately that Comme des Garçons has began sending out notes instantly following collections. Is that to cease individuals like me sending you questions like these? Are you interested by speaking about your work?

RK: I believed it was useful to inform the theme to a couple choose journalists. And as you recognize, I don’t like speaking about my work. I need individuals solely to have a look at the garments and really feel one thing.

SF: Our concern theme this time is Obsessed/Possessed. There’s a tremendous line between the 2 phrases. What are your obsessions and what does the phrase ‘possessed’ imply to you?

RK: I don’t have obsessions and don’t really feel possessed. I simply have by no means modified my sense of values about how I make garments.

SF: You’re employed in an primarily business trade, the place possessions – with a barely completely different which means – are central. However how vital are materials possessions to you?

RK: I’m not enthusiastic about proudly owning something.

SF: You could have had large affect – over different style designers and, extra broadly, over what individuals put on. Do you are feeling a way of satisfaction, or in the event you don’t just like the phrase ‘satisfaction’, no less than achievement?

RK: I can not reply as a result of it’s not true.

Hair: Shiori Takahashi at Streeters utilizing WELLA PROFESSIONALS. Make-up: Thomas de Kluyver at Artwork Associate utilizing GUCCI BEAUTY. Fashions: Jules Volfu at XDirectn, Mina Serrano at The Hive Administration, Mica Kendall at Milk Administration and Rachael Carruthers and Luke Clod at Storm Administration. Casting: Julia Lange at Artistry. Set design: Alice Kirkpatrick at Streeters. Manicure: Lauren Michelle Pires at Future Rep. Digital tech: Jeanne Buchi. Lighting: Alexa Horgan. Laser operator: Mark Randall. Photographic assistants: Joe Reddy, Charlotte Ellis and Tamibé Bourdanné. Styling assistants: Isabella Damazio and Roshni Rai. Hair assistants: Yuri Kato and Cher Savoy. Make-up assistants: Abbie Nourse and Josh Bart. Manicure assistant: Amy Thomas. Casting assistant: Anna Pkhakadze. Set construct: Tommy Aitcheson, Toby Morrison and Tris King. Set-design assistants: Columbia Williams and Sophia Wilcox. Printing: Sarah England. Manufacturing: Associate Movies. Submit-production: Output.

This story options within the Autumn/Winter 2022 concern of AnOther Journal, which is on sale internationally now. Purchase a replica right here.