Rei Kawakubo Stages First-Ever Solo Art Fair Presentation in New York

Rarely seen COMME des GARÇONS “body objects” housed in a custom, sculptural install.

Summary

• Rei Kawakubo’s first-ever solo presentation at a New York art fair and her first major appearance in the city since her 2017 Met exhibition.
• The installation features 20 “objects for the body” housed in a custom architectural environment.

Rei Kawakubo and COMME des GARÇONS are taking over the Independent Art Fair this week and it’s a heavy moment for New York. While the CDG universe is a staple in the art-fashion dialogue, this marks the first time Kawakubo has ever staged a solo presentation at a New York art fair. It’s a major move for the iconic designer since her 2017 Met exhibition.

The installation anchors the fair’s new home at Pier 36 on the Lower East Side. The space is a site-specific environment designed by Kawakubo herself. Built from rebar and colored plastic joinery, the structure houses 20 objects for the body curated from her collections over the last five years.

Independent founder Elizabeth Dee intentionally made it the fair’s centerpiece, giving it a bit more life and edge from the usual corporate environment that’s been a mainstay of the art world. For Kawakubo, who has always operated on her own timeline, the goal was to show these works divorced from any chronology or seasons and make the archival work feel entirely new again.

Every look was produced in an edition of three or fewer, with only one of each available for sale on-site, priced between $9,000 USD and $30,000 USD. The fair runs through May 17, so move fast if you want to catch the install.

Independent Art Fair
299 South St.
New York, NY 10002