Fashion often represents a story that is waiting to be told.

In this context, Rei Kawakubo’s narration is always deep of meaning and not easy to understand. For the Autumn / Winter 2015-2016 men’s collection, the focus of the iconic Japanese designer was set on the human body. The male figure was re-designed through unusual proportions and asymmetrical cuts, which gave to polished pieces the inimitable Comme des Garçons strange, yet cool, look. A spiral motif inspired the construction of jackets and coats, stretched across the torso and awkwardly fastened. Punk references were artistically reworked through the collaboration with the New-York based tattooer Joseph Ari Aloi aka JK5 , who created the patterns featured on full outfits. Tattoos, as garments, can be silent symbols of rejection, which set the individual apart from the standardised main stream. Within the scrambled print, one could read the words Born to Die that may refer to Kawakubo’s reflection on the ephemeral existence of the human being. The dark poetry of the American artist Roger Ballen’s charcoal drawings, depicted on the back of white outerwear, was in line with this sombre thoughts. Other underground elements such as leather belts, detachable sleeves, animal-like prints and masks strengthened the grungy and alienating feel that Kawakubo injected to traditional men’s tailoring