Comme des Garçons, SS04, Paris.
At times it can be good to consider how different designers use similar methods for focusing the viewers’ attention during catwalk shows. In the previous post we discussed how the catwalk show for J.W. Anderson’s collection» balanced innovations in textiles and cut with the use of sheer fabrics and very lean garments . A similar approach can be seen in the catwalk presentation of a Comme des Garçons collection from a decade earlier.
In Spring-Summer 2004 Rei Kawakubo created a catwalk collection that focused on experiments with skirts, and sent the models down the catwalk with only very sheer tops. By effectively doing away with tops, the eyes of the viewer are forced to concentrate on the cuts, shapes and patterns being explored in the skirts alone.
Interestingly when you think about this collection in terms of visual balance, the head pieces are quite important. In a way, the fact that the headpieces are so wide helps to balance the clothes on the body. Where a wide shoulder line on a top may sometimes be used to balance a wide skirt, here we instead see the head pieces serving the same purpose.
The headpieces and make-up styling are also important for the way that they are used in combination with the colours of the skirts. The vibrant make-up choices and patterned headpiece fabrics are often used to complement or clash with the colours or patterns of the skirts themselves.
Images from StyleBistro»
