Establishing one of the world’s most prestigious fashion labels, and redefining standards of high fashion and luxury in the process would be enough of a legacy for most people, but not for Rei Kawakubo. The Comme Des Garcons founder/designer also took on a protégé, Junya Watanabe, who would become one of the elite names in global fashion in his own right. Watanabe steadily rose through the Comme Des Garcons ranks before establishing his own offshoot CDG label in 1993.

Like his mentor, Junya Watanabe is renowned for his avant garde expressions of technical excellence, innovative tailoring and forward thinking sensibility. The incorporation of cutting-edge, synthetic textiles into complex and distinctive designs is a particular hallmark of Watanabe’s output.

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