about - JUNYA WATANABE MAN
"JUNYA WATANABE MAN" is a Japanese fashion brand that launched in the Spring/Summer 2001 season. The designer is Junya Watanabe.
We take “ordinary-looking” garments—such as workwear and military-inspired traditional styles—that are commonly found in vintage clothing, and through sophisticated tailoring and a reinterpretation of their design, transform them into garments with entirely different structures.
JUNYA WATANABE COMME des GARÇONS MAN was launched in 2001. Starting with the Spring/Summer 2022 season, the brand changed its name to its current one, JUNYA WATANABE MAN.
About the Designer
After graduating from the Bunka Fashion College in 1984, designer Watanabe joined Comme des Garçons, Inc. as a patternmaker.
In 1987, he served as a designer for tricot COMME des GARÇONS, and in 1992, he launched his own women’s brand, “JUNYA WATANABE COMME des GARÇONS.”
In addition, he launched the men’s line JUNYA WATANABE COMME des GARÇONS MAN in the Spring/Summer 2001 collection, and in 2005, he launched a spin-off line, eYe COMME des GARÇONS JUNYA WATANABE MAN, which focuses more on creating everyday wear.
He has also served as Executive Vice President of Comme des Garçons Co., Ltd. since 2005 and is a key figure in the company today.
About Clothing
Using workwear, military-inspired styles, and other “ordinary-looking” garments—the kind often found in vintage clothing—as a starting point, I create garments with entirely different structures through sophisticated tailoring and a reinterpretation of their design.
I view the structural elements of the original garment as symbols and create many garments that retain those elements while being constructed with an entirely different structure. In one piece, I remove the functional aspect of a pocket—which would normally be present in the original garment—from its intended location, leaving only the traces of the pocket as stitching. In another piece, I create bottoms that appear identical at first glance by inkjet-printing the iconic stitching and fading patterns of denim onto flat fabric.
On another note, the brand also offers a classic line of traditional trousers that directly showcase Comme des Garçons’ exceptional tailoring skills.