Beautiful Chaos at Dover Street Market Ginza

Dover Street Market is owned by Comme des Garcons, the fashion brand that is linked to 

 Rei Kawakubo, the well-known Japanese fashion designer who incorporated the brand in 1973.

During my recent visit to Japan, I was able to visit Dover Street Market Ginza which is located behind the world's largest Uniqlo store in Ginza.

Rei Kawakubo, is the Creative Director of Comme des Garcons. Comme des Garcons means "like boys" in English. It is a brand that has changed the fashion world and has been known as "anti-fashion" since it made use of deconstructed garments, unfinished edges along with holes and a general asymmetrical shape. Comme des Garcons is also known to have androgynous looking models during fashion shows.

Rei Kawakubo created  ripples and changed the fashion industry as she expressed her creative ideas through her unique fashion creations. Although she was never formally trained as a fashion designer, Rei took up art and literature at Keio University. With her educational background, she was exposed in expressing herself through art which is shown in her work with her fashion creations. She simply considers her creations as an expression of what she thought were strong and beautiful.

Rei Kawakubo is the Creative Director
 of Comme des Garcons

Source: Business of Fashion website(www.businessoffashion.com)

Rei Kawakubo is also one of the six artists enlisted for the Louis Vuitton 160th Anniversary iconic mononogram bags collaboration. Together with Karl Lagerfeld, Frank Gehry, Cindy Sherman, Marc Newson, and Christian Louboutin, the ever-elusive Rei Kawakubo created a unique, modernized and limited edition version of the LV monogram bag.

Rei Kawakubo's limited edition monogram bag
designed for Louis Vuitton

Source: www.style.com (article on Rei Kawakubo)

Dover Street Market Ginza(DSMG) is a visually arresting store. It is definitely an edgy multi-brand retail store since it shows artistically curated and unique retail concepts from other brands in one store which in totality creates a  ‘beautiful chaos’ that truly captures one attention.

Rei Kawakubo is greatly involved in Dover Street Market's graphic design, advertising, and shop interiors since she believes that all of these things are part of one vision which are linked to each other.  Rei Kawakubo's husband, Adrian Joffe, CEO of Comme des Garcons, is in-charge of taking care of the business side while Rei focuses on the creative side.

For me, going to DSMG made me feel like I have been transported to a modern art museum. It is a store that has artistic installations that blends well with the modern and somewhat quirky fashion items from various designers.

Rei Kawakubo's fashiion/ art creation called Blood and Roses
featured at DSMG for Spring-Summer 2015.

Source DSMG website(ginza.doverstreetmarket.com)

Some of the interesting stuff you will see at Dover Street market includes a section featuring the distinct style of Junya Watanabe, who is a protege of Rei Kawakubo.

Junya Watanabe's quirky and beautiful clothes for
Spring-Summer 2015.

Source : DSMG website (www.ginza.doverstreetmarket.com)

Junya Watanabe's colourful and playful clothing line at DSMG.

Source : DSMG website (www.ginza.doverstreetmarket.com)

There is also a section of the store that features bags and clothes for Louis Vuitton by Nicholas Ghesquire.

LV at DSMG

Source: DSMG website (www.ginza.doverstreetmarket.com)

For those who love classic and simple elegance, the section featuring Celine is a must-see.

Celine collection for Spring-Summer 2015 available at DSMG'

Source: DSMG website (www.ginza.doverstreetmarket.com)

 For casual Comme des Garcons clothes, one can also get shirts from Comme des Garcons PLAY.

PLAY by Comme des Garcons shirts

Source: DSMG website (www.ginza.doverstreet.com)

Dover Street Market is certainly a must-go place to see for people who like fashion. It is a retail store that does not look like traditional retail stores today  since each section  and collaboration with designers look very unique and interesting.

You will definitely find something cool to buy at DSMG. I was happy that I was able to get a Comme des Garcons swim cap at DSMG. Just a little something to make me feel more motivated to swim... ha ha ha. By getting something fun to wear, one can surely have a more fun fashion sense.

To know more about Dover Street Market Ginza, visit their website: Dover Street Market website.