Chapter 5

Sometimes what you are looking for comes when you aren't looking for it. Just like spotting the perfect shoe when you are broke. Love at first sight, and only not to find your size when you have the money to buy a pair. I've never understood why that happens. Maybe I should make my own versions just like Comme des Garçons.

Comme des Garçons has joined forces with the active wear giant Nike to collaborate in the reproduction of some of their most popular designs in footwear.

The NikeLab High Dunk Retro x Comme des Garçons Homme Plus, re-imagines the brand's most iconic basketball shoe which was originally released in 1985. 2017 marks the first time the Japanese brand has fully reinterpreted styles of the activewear giant for its main lines, Comme des Garçons and Comme des Garçons Homme Plus. Rei Kawakubo, founder and creative director of the 48 year old company, designed a play on the Dunk's retro appeal, but has modernised the style with a black leather upper and translucent TPU panels that compliment the menswear collection, which reflects the "Emperor's New Clothes" inspired theme.

For the woman's collection Kawakubo gives a sculptural futuristic aesthetic with the NikeLab Air Moc Mid x Comme des Garçons, a white calf high boot, which derived its look from Nike's adventurous ACG line that was first introduced in 1994. 

And lastly the most cutting edge of them all is the NikeLab VaporMax x Comme des Garçons. This collaboration comes almost a year after Nike teased of its existence last March. It is a re-envision of the legendary Air Max 1 runner, which celebrates its 30th year of existence, was inspired by the architect Renzo Piano's "inside out" Centre George Pompidou in Paris. The design was to give the sole a window reveal the air bubble within it. That air bubble grew to reveal the entire sole, was now given a secondary layer for support. For the VaporMax Nike employed next generation technologies, incorporating the Air unit directly into the external layer and attaching it to the woven upper to produce a much lighter and responsive shoe. Kawakubo's version offers a minimalist black and white colour choice and does away with the shoelaces completely making the VaporMax a streamline slip-on.