Junya Watanabe Comme des Garçons

Architectural black taffeta tunic from Junya Watanabe Comme des Garçons Spring 2000 collection, as seen on the runway. Sleek lightweight taffeta in a trapeze top silhouette...

Highly collectible runway piece from the Junya Watanabe Comme des Garçons Fall 1999 collection. This collection known as the "Couture Casual" collection famously explored themes...

S/S 2003 Junya Watanabe runway bondage skirt From the Spring/Summer 2003 runway collection, this Junya Watanabe skirt exemplifies the designer's experimental approach to utilitarian...

A fabulous white cotton shirt by Junya Watanabe for Comme des Garcons. It has a shirt collar, cuffs and closes up the front with mother of pearl buttons. Along the shoulders, upper...

Junya Watanabe, Fall-Winter 1999. Grey wool tweed jacket and skirt ensemble. The jacket features a draped and folded construction at the hips, with functional zips set into the seams...

JUNYA WATANABE COMME DES GARÇONS Linen Knee-Length Dress Bust: 46" Waist: 42" Hip: 38" Length: 37.5" Fabric: 100% Linen FINAL SALE

The subtlest of inventive details makes this day dress a refined standout from Junya Watanabe for Comme des Garçons. The tank top bodice inverts at the front and back, creating layer...

For his design mentor Rei Kawakubo's Japanese brand Comme des Garcons, Junya Wantanabe made this inimitable translucent white taffeta floaty ruffled-V-neck sleeveless pullover dress with distinct parachute elements, cutwork, and adjustable ruching and draping as "Look 1 and 2" (see photos) for the Parisian fashion show debut of his S/S 2003 collection. Significantly, no other Wantanabe collection is represented by more garments at The Met Costume Institute. In our dress, the stunning combination of contrasts range from romantic-to-combat themes, gathered-to-flowing construction, raw-to-finely-finished edges, soft-to-hard materials, and gossamer-to-dense textural fabrics. Secured on the exterior of the dress with bold silver-tone metallic hardware, the parachute-like 100%-cotton grosgrain straps are mostly enclosed within multiple diagonal and vertical ruched channels to enable symmetrical or asymmetrical draping and lengthening of the thin synthetic fabric into multiple swags. Strap ends can freely hang from the functional hardware on the front of the dress and below its sides--as if they could be yanked to release the fabric into a drifty parachute sail. With the potential to be a stunning formal overlay if worn with a minimalist wedding gown or long skirt, the reverse side of the voluminous dress is equally remarkable for its ruffled diamond-shaped cutout at the lower back, where it is intersected by a trio of linked thick straps that are secured to a looped ruched channel. This creates an elongated bustle with a dramatic central 19-inch slit between the two swags that each extend 43 inches below the outer shoulder hem. This premiere-catwalk dress is distinguished from others in Wantanabe's "Parachute Jumper" collection by the complexity of its top. Two ruched straps form an X-shape via silver hardware at the upper back, extending to the front over the shoulders to form an adjustable face-flattering ruched V-neck with silver-hardware-linked narrow straps. The soft folds of the neckline contribute to the raised ruffle collar, as well as flow to the shoulder seams. The hand-cut hem was designed unfinished and meant to fray, although it has not given its minimal wear and very good condition consistent with only age and storage. See our photos of the care/material tags. All tags remain, including from the Italian concept-store 10 Corso Como where it was purchased in Milan. The "Made in Japan" size is a large-running "S" due to the pullover and adjustable style of the dress, which is equivalent to an Italian-size 44 or U.S.-size 6. Beyond a convertible dress...