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The Big Three: Japan’s Legends At Paris Fashion Week

From their rebel style to their statement silhouettes, these legendary designers owned the fashion week with their iconic designs.

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Paris Fashion Week is always buzzing with A-list celebrities, viral runway moments, and designer debuts that social media can't get enough of. But amid the flashbulbs and the spectacle, three legends continue to do what they do best—redefine fashion on their own terms. Enter Rei Kawakubo (Comme des Garçons), Issey Miyake (now carried forward by his team), and Yohji Yamamoto—the Big 3 of Japanese fashion. These aren’t just designers; they are visionaries who have been shaking up the Parisian fashion scene for decades. While new names come and go, these three remain untouchable, consistently proving that fashion is more than just trends—it’s an art form. And this season? They did it again. Let’s talk about their shows because, quite frankly, they deserve more attention than whatever celebrity drama is unfolding in the front row.  

Issey Miyake: The Dress Is A Bag, The Bag Is A Dress  

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Issey Miyake has always been about movement, transformation, and making everyday life just a little more poetic. This season, the atelier brought that ethos to life with a collection that blurred the lines between fashion and function in the most delightful way possible. There were sculptural silhouettes, an almost trompe l’oeil play on pleats, and—wait for it—a bag shaped dress. Or was it a dress that became a bag? The movement was restricted with hands locked inside pockets at not-so usual places!  Either way, it was fashion magic at its finest. The whole collection was a dance of fabric and form, proving once again that the house of Miyake is still very much in the game, playing by its own rules

Yohji Yamamoto: The Master Of Mystery  

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If Yohji Yamamoto’s collection were a soundtrack, it would be a hauntingly beautiful symphony—dark, poetic, and utterly mesmerising. He has always played with the tension between structure and fluidity, and this season was no exception. The collection featured his signature drapery, oversized tailoring, and, of course, his love affair with black. But it wasn’t just about the clothes; it was about the story they told. Yamamoto’s models moved like shadowy figures from a noir film, exuding an air of melancholic romance. And then came the grand finale—reversible coats. Yes, Yamamoto turned practicality into high fashion, proving that even in a world obsessed with newness, he can still surprise us all.

Comme Des Garçons: Fashion As Art

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Rei Kawakubo doesn’t design for the faint-hearted. Her collections aren’t just clothes; they’re statements, sculptures, conversations in fabric form. This season, Comme des Garçons delivered a lineup of avant-garde silhouettes that looked like they had been plucked straight from a surrealist painting. Volumes were exaggerated, proportions distorted, and the usual rules of fashion completely ignored. And that’s exactly why we love her. In an industry that often chases commercial viability, Kawakubo stands defiantly on the fringes, creating pieces that demand interpretation. Call it weird, call it wonderful—whatever you call it, it’s unmistakably Comme des Garçons.

Fashion can sometimes feel like a never-ending loop of recycled trends, but these three designers remind us that true creativity is timeless. While many chase hype, Kawakubo, Yamamoto, and the house of Miyake continue to challenge, provoke, and inspire. They prove that fashion isn’t just about looking good; it’s about making people think, feel, and question. So while the internet might be busy dissecting which influencer wore what in the front row, real fashion lovers know where to look—right at the runway, where the big three  continue to reign supreme.

 

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