Rei Kawakubo continued to assert her resistance and rebellion at the fall-winter 2025 Comme des Garcons Homme Plus show in Paris. Housed inside an industrial showroom, the military-inspired collection, entitled “To Hell With War” featured young CDG punk soldiers walking peacefully under oversized helmets adorned with flowers and bright, luxurious fabrics, a collaboration with Nobuki HIZUME.
Set to Nina Simone’s “Lilac Wine” the collection evoked intense emotion, which could be seen through the controversial lens of war, about “breaking down army symbols,” according to the press release. Deconstructed field and army officer jackets were layered and deconstructed, playing with shape and proportion, ruched, cut, torn and adorned with buttons and pieces of militaria. Army green wool pants ballooned out at the knee covered with cargo pockets, while red tartan skirts and pants remained a nod to traditional Scottish regiments.
Models shuffled down the runway in army boots with the toe box flipped up at a 90-degree angle, feeling almost atrophied, while felted wool jackets mixed vibrant shades, and pops of digital candy-coloured camouflage under a zippered blazer offered a kind of joyful punky lightness.
Kawakubo is a master of evoking emotion and empathy from her audience. This collection took us all on a ride: at first, harrowing and hopeless, as our current dystopian world often feels, and in the end, leaning more towards youthful fantasy.
Browse through the runway looks below.
