Take a close-up look at two Comme des Garçons objects on view now in #MetKimono. Rei Kawakubo is known for radical silhouettes that question conventional notions of beauty.⁣ ⁣ 🟡 The fall 2012 “2 Dimensions” collection blurred the boundaries between body and garment. As seen in this dress, the collection incorporated the two-dimensionality of the kimono into a trompe l’oeil silhouette of a Western dress. Its bold, primary colors and flat, outsize shape challenge the rules of age-appropriate dressing by engaging with the concept of kawaii (cuteness), a key aspect of Japanese popular culture defined by playfulness and performativity.⁣ ⁣ 💐 According to Kawakubo, this armature, made up of a patchwork of floral jacquard fabrics pieced together with rivets, conjures up “punks in the 18th century, which was a time of so many revolutions.” Combining tradition with transgression, the designer creates a rebellious, yet romantic silhouette. // Ensemble, #CommedesGarçons (Japanese, founded 1969), #ReiKawakubo (Japanese, born 1942), fall/winter 2016–17; Purchase, Friends of The Costume Institute Gifts, 2016 (2016.616a–aaa). Dress, #CommedesGarçons (Japanese, founded 1969), #ReiKawakubo (Japanese, born 1942), fall/winter 2012–13; Gift of Comme des Garçons, 2014 (2014.134). #TheMet #CostumeInstitute