The umbrella of the Japanese brand Comme de Garçons in 1973 is extensive to say the least. The brand itself has nearly ten other diffusion lines such as Play, Comme Comme, and Black – but today, for the sake of streetwear, we’re honing in on the 2018 launch of CDG.
Before we start, you might be thinking ‘they’ve just made their name into an acronym. How the hell is that any different from the original brand?’
And it’s a valid point. The acronym is used often to describe the entire brand, but CDG really does have a distinct difference to the original line of Comme de Garçons.
To get a better understanding though, let’s start from the beginning.
Comme de Garçons (Main Line)
Comme de Garçons was founded by Rei Kawakubo in 1969 in Tokyo, Japan, and has been known for it’s avant-garde design that challenge fashion norms (imagine a human-sized Christmas bauble walking down a catwalk).
This main line definitely isn’t focused on everyday trends. In fact it might be the furthest thing you can get from trendy in the fashion world.
Pieces from the main line feel a lot more like sculptures or wearable art rather your typical street-ready gear.
Enter CDG – the hype-based diffusion line
Launched in 2018, CDG entered the scene as Comme de Garçon’s attempt at creating a line of accessible, in-trend streetwear pieces.
CDG focused heavily on branding, plastering its logo across the sleeves and backs of hoodies and tees.
The line was also aimed at a slightly younger demographic, explaining the lowered (although still not cheap) prices.
CDG now sits somewhere between casualwear and luxury streetwear, offering a range of more minimalistic but nonetheless iconic garms.
To sum up, Comme de Garçons and CDG are two completely different moods.
On one hand, the original line stands for those who want to delve into Kawakubo’s chaotic, wacky but beautiful runway designs.
On the other, CDG keeps it clean, minimalist and down-to-Earth whilst still managing to tap into the energy of one of the most successful fashion brands in the world.
So, whether you’re in the market for just a graphic logo tee, or a totally unorthodox dress, the Comme de Garçons universe has a place for all.
