Comme des Garçons has long been the darling of fashion enthusiasts, but its diffusion line, Comme des Garçons Play does not enjoy the same prestige. The sneaker from CDG Play’s collaboration with Converse, in particular, has suffered pointed criticism. Mentioning this shoe invites disdain from anyone who tells you they enjoy fashion. At best, their consensus is that the shoe is “tacky” and “played out.” At worst, the motivations behind the collaboration become subject to their scrutiny, with many claiming Comme des Garçons’s designer, Rei Kawakubo, “sold out” (although “selling” and “fashion” have always seemed to go hand in hand).

This shoe strikes a particular nerve in Kawakubo’s most passionate fans. It is not an item you will find in their wardrobe, and most pretend the diffusion line never existed–as if it were some bad dream whose details they cannot remember but whose unease they cannot shake off. They see this collaboration as either a lapse of judgment on Kawakubo’s part or a necessary vice for the brand to survive in the fashion world. Many would prefer that Comme des Garçons remained relatively obscure–that its collections never stocked mainstream stores like Nordstrom or Bloomingdales.

“Mainstream” is the problem with these shoes. Rei Kawakubo is supposed to be the rebel, and Comme des Garçon is supposed to defy conformity–collaborating with a ubiquitous brand like Converse should chafe against what her work represents and threaten her dignity as an artist. It is no surprise that fashion enthusiasts would share these views, as becoming engaged in fashion inevitably requires some wealth and privilege. They live in a world much more carefree. It is a place where everything is within reach, where lights always turn green, and fresh opportunities line up, one after the other. Here, every mistake comes with a second chance, and every wasted day comes with another just the same, and nothing–no error nor procrastination–carries weight.

Only this rosy world can afford to view earning money as vulgar and deify the concept of art for art’s sake. Idealistic and romantic, it clashes with the fundamental aspects of Kawakubo, who is pragmatic and, at times, even suspicious of art. In the few interviews she allows, she consistently emphasizes her preference to be called a businesswoman rather than an artist. As she will tell you herself, she sees fashion as a means of earning income. To also express her ideas of freedom and rebellion through her profession was luck. Comme des Garçons does pretend to be the esoteric brand many of its fans hoped for.  Rather, even more so than freedom from conformity, Kawakubo has desired financial freedom. From the start, Comme des Garçons was designed to fit within popular fashion.

Reach writer Alan Zeng at musemediauw@gmail.com.
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