Kerry Taylor Auctions is excited to announce the sale of a substantial collection of Comme des Garçons garments from the collection of preeminent vintage specialist: dot COMME. All pieces come from the dot Comme archive and ‘new to market’ having not been offered for sale on their website before.
With over 265 lots on offer that begin with the brand’s inception in the 1970s and continues through important and influential pieces from the first runway shows in Paris in the 1980s, radical designs from important runway shows in the 1990s and 2000s, and into explosive, colourful ensembles from the 2010s. Never has an auction provided such an expansive overview of one of the world’s most expressive and innovative fashion brands.
Rei Kawakubo is one of the most influential figures in contemporary fashion and the founder of Comme des Garçons, the groundbreaking Japanese label established in 1973. Renowned for her radical, avant-garde approach to design, Kawakubo has consistently challenged traditional ideas of beauty, silhouette, and garment construction. Her visionary work has reshaped the fashion industry, inspiring generations of designers through its creativity, innovation, and intellectual rigor.
It is exceptionally rare to encounter pieces from Comme des Garçons’ formative years in the 1970s, before Rei Kawakubo’s landmark Paris debut in 1981 brought the brand to international attention. Even more remarkable is the presentation of 18 lots from this pivotal period, an unprecedented offering that provides a unique insight into the label’s early development.
Alongside these, the auction offers several pieces from Comme de Garçon’s first presentation in Paris, as well as other key collections from the 1980s that pushed fashion construction to new limits. In 1982, Rei Kawakubo described her loose fitting designs as being suitable for ‘the bag lady of New York’, and just a few years later her ingenious bias cut dresses clung to the body in a fashion that would have impressed even Madeleine Vionnet.
From the mid 1990s onwards Kawakubo’s designs became increasingly colourful, experimental and bold. Key collections include , ‘Broken Bride’, Autumn-Winter 2005-06; ‘Flowering Clothes’, Autumn-Winter 1996-97; ‘Transformed Glamour’, Autumn-Winter 1999-2000; and ‘Body Meets Dress – Dress Meets Body’, Spring-Summer 1997– all of which are well represented in the sale.
A protégé of Comme des Garçons founder Rei Kawakubo, Junya Watanabe launched his eponymous line in the early 1990s and has become known for blending avant-garde creativity with exceptional craftsmanship. His work often explores experimental fabrics, technical construction, and unexpected collaborations, earning him a reputation as one of fashion’s leading pioneers of “techno-couture”.
Alongside the women’s lines, we are also offering 16 menswear ensembles dating from 1983-2013.
dot COMME is a specialist dealer of Japanese fashion. The founder Octavius La Rosa is considered an authority on Comme de Garcons and has been obsessively collecting the brand for over 17 years. Octavius has operated a store in Melbourne for the past 15 years and will soon be relocating to a new premises. In addition, he has hosted several pop-up spaces in Paris and has recently established a permanent location in Saint-Germain. The complete 4,000 piece dot Comme archive will be moving from Melbourne to Paris this Autumn - creating an invaluable resource for research in the fashion world’s capital city. Octavius has now decided to part with a significant part of his collection, to create space for new acquisitions, and connect with his following in an innovative way.
Viewing times
Please enter your email address below, we will send you a notification email when the sale is available to view online.
Lot 94 - A Comme des Garçons cotton ensemble, ‘Mud-Dyed’ collection, Spring-Summer 1985
Lot 95 - A Comme des Garçons blue cotton top, ‘Mud-Dyed’ collection, Spring-Summer 1985
Lot 96 - A Comme des Garçons beige hemp shirt, ‘Mud-Dyed’ collection, Spring-Summer 1985
Lot 98 - Two Comme des Garçons tops, ‘Mud-Dyed’ collection, Spring-Summer 1985
Lot 103 - Two Comme des Garçons tops, ‘Dots, Polyester Pleats’ collection, Autumn-Winter 1985-86
Lot 107 - A Comme des Garçons black dress, ‘Bias Cutting’ collection, Spring-Summer 1986
Lot 113 - A Comme des Garçons black and grey ensemble, ‘Bonding’ collection, Autumn-Winter 1986-87
Lot 116 - A Comme des Garçons black wool skirt, ‘Bonding’ collection, Autumn-Winter 1986-87
Lot 117 - A Comme des Garçons blue wool skirt, ‘Bonding’ collection, Autumn-Winter 1986-87
Lot 131 - A Comme des Garçons black dress, ‘Movement’ collection, Spring-Summer 1989
Lot 134 - A Comme des Garçons black ensemble, ‘Modern Sweetness’ collection, Autumn-Winter 1990-91
Lot 137 - A Comme des Garçons black wool suit, ‘Lilith’ collection, Autumn-Winter 1992-93
Lot 138 - A Comme des Garçons lace sleeveless tailcoat, ‘Lilith’ collection, Autumn-Winter 1992-93
Lot 141 - A Comme des Garçons grey and brown ensemble, ‘Synergy’ collection, Autumn-Winter 1993-94
Lot 143 - A Comme des Garçons black patchwork dress, ‘Synergy’ collection, Autumn-Winter 1993-94
Lot 145 - A Comme des Garçons wool top/minidress, ‘Synergy’ collection, Autumn-Winter 1993-94
Lot 148 - A Comme des Garçons grey tweed suit, ‘Metamorphosis’ collection, Autumn-Winter 1994-95
Lot 149 - A Comme des Garçons white velvet dress, ‘Metamorphosis’ collection, Autumn-Winter 1994-95
Lot 153 - A Comme des Garçons abstract ensemble, ‘Kaleidoscope’ collection, Spring-Summer 1996
Lot 165 - A Comme des Garçons black dress, ‘New Essential’ collection, Spring-Summer 1999
Lot 166 - A Comme des Garçons brown dress and jacket, ‘New Essential’ collection, Spring-Summer 1999
Lot 167 - A Comme des Garçons cotton ensemble, ‘New Essential’ collection, Spring-Summer 1999
Lot 168 - A Comme des Garçons wool and lace dress, ‘New Essential’ collection, Spring-Summer 1999
Lot 174 - A Comme des Garçons green silk-blend dress, ‘Coercion’ collection, Spring-Summer 2000
