"Live free." "Strong will." These were the slogans embroidered in stitch-edged script on the garments at the Comme des Garçons Shirt AW24 show. Such wearable slogans often feel hollow, but not here. With everyone necessary present in the showroom, the 9:15 a.m. show actually started at 9:09 a.m., with no delays for front-row photos or "friends of" the brand flaunting chosen outfits. It was straight to business.
Set to a piano bar rendition of Radiohead’s "Karma Police," the collection unfolded swiftly, delicately distorting convention without any unnecessary fuss. The script appeared throughout the show, starting boldly before gradually fading, eventually unraveling in looks 33 and 35. What seemed at first like straightforward outfits—khaki Bermuda shorts under a gray T-shirt, gray sweatshirts over white Bermudas, paired with white Chuck Taylor lows—revealed themselves to be far more intricate upon closer inspection. The shorts flared in almost A-line volume, and the tees were cleverly layered. Some cuffed pants, cropped mid-shin, added a subtle yet precise touch as they came and went on the runway.
Hints of boldness emerged through pink and blue shirts with cut-out sections, and fine-gauge knitwear adorned with multicolor patches, later echoed in geometric patterned shirts. A few shirts featured white collars but were restrained by straps that limited arm movement, a nod to the lyric, "I've given all I can, but we're still on the payroll."
A brief collaboration with Fred Perry preceded a series of artfully distorted quilted jackets from Lavenham, a made-in-Suffolk English outerwear brand favored by British commuters for wearing over suits. The Shirt team playfully reimagined this UK salaryman staple, twisting and distorting the jackets as disruptively as the British rail system—but here, the disruption was intentional design, not neglect. By the time the show wrapped up, it was barely the official start time. Strong will, strong show.
First delivery for Comme des Garçons SHIRT AW24 MENS is now available instore and online.
