Sweater, Skirt

A piece by Rei Kawakubo which drew the attention of the West to Japanese Fashion. The seemingly complex form of the sweater was essentially created from one straight panel, and has a dynamic voluminous look. The large sleeves spreading to the left and right resemble kimono sleeves. The skirt sags asymmetrically in response to the irregular shapes created by the loosely hanging sweater.
At the beginning of the 1980s, Kawakubo received a mixed response in Paris to her designs that challenged existing aesthetic values in Western countries with their achromaticity, loose fit, asymmetry and deliberately-created holes and tears. Nevertheless, she has maintained a consistent attitude of defying stereotypes in dress designing ever since.