In the vast landscape of fashion history, few names evoke as much reverence, confusion, and raw artistic awe as Comme des Garçons. Founded in Tokyo by the enigmatic Rei Kawakubo in 1969 and incorporated in 1973, the brand has spent over half a century completely rewriting the rules of what clothing can be. To the uninitiated, the garments can look like walking sculptures—asymmetrical, shredded, bulbous, or completely divorced from the human anatomy.

But before the radical runway shows, the monochromatic "crow" movement in Paris, and the global empire of streetwear and fragrances, there was simply a name.

Comme des Garçons. Translated from French, it means "Like the Boys." For a brand spearheaded by a Japanese woman who initially designed clothing for women, this linguistic choice is neither accidental nor purely aesthetic. It is a foundational manifesto. To discover the true Comme des Garçons meaning and understand why Rei Kawakubo chose this phrase is to understand the very core of her design philosophy, her quiet rebellion against societal expectations, and her relentless pursuit of absolute freedom.

The Origin Story: A Catchy Song and a Found Concept

Unlike many legendary fashion houses named after their creators (think Chanel, Dior, or Yves Saint Laurent), Kawakubo deliberately chose an alias. She wanted the brand to exist as its own entity, separate from her personal identity.

The literal inspiration for the name is surprisingly casual. In the late 1960s, Kawakubo heard the 1962 French pop song "Tous les garçons et les filles" (All the Boys and Girls) by Françoise Hardy. A specific line in the song caught her ear: “Comme les garçons et les filles de mon âge” (Like the boys and girls of my age).

Kawakubo liked the cadence of the words. It sounded fluid, crisp, and international. At a time when Japan was rapidly globalizing and looking toward Western culture, a French name carried an air of sophisticated distance. However, rather than taking the full phrase, she isolated a fragment: Comme des Garçons. Like the boys.

While the sonic quality of the phrase sparked her interest, the narrative of why Rei Kawakubo chose Like the Boys runs much deeper. The conceptual depth of the phrase solidified its place as the moniker for her life's work.

Redefining Femininity: Dressing for Oneself

To truly grasp why "Like the Boys" was a revolutionary title in late-1960s Japan, one must consider the socio-cultural landscape of the era. The traditional expectations for Japanese women were deeply tied to domesticity, elegance, and compliance. Women’s fashion was heavily dictated by the male gaze—clothes were designed to highlight the silhouette, project modesty, or showcase status through traditional refinement.

Kawakubo, who studied fine arts and aesthetics at Keio University, entered the fashion world not as a trained couturier, but as a stylist. When she couldn't find clothes that suited her or the independent lifestyle of modern women, she started making them herself.

By naming her brand Comme des Garçons, Kawakubo was not suggesting that women should literally transform into men. Instead, she was claiming the freedom, mobility, and independence traditionally reserved exclusively for men.

"Like the boys" meant:

• Wearing clothes that allowed you to move freely.

• Prioritizing comfort, utility, and strength over performative seduction.

• Stepping away from the rigid corsetry of traditional Western femininity and the strict expectations of Japanese society.

When Kawakubo’s designs debuted in Paris in 1981 alongside Yohji Yamamoto, the Western fashion press was shocked. Instead of high heels, glamour, and hourglass shapes, Kawakubo presented oversized, dark, distressed garments. The media labeled the style "Hiroshima Chic" or "The Post-Atomic Look," but Kawakubo’s intention was much simpler: she was creating armor for women who lived, worked, and thought independently. She was giving women the freedom to be "like the boys"—unburdened by the need to please anyone but themselves.

Deconstructing Gender Roles Before It Was a Trend

Today, "gender-fluid," "unisex," and "androgynous" are buzzwords used by marketing departments worldwide. In the 1970s and 1980s, however, breaking the gender binary in fashion was a radical, political act.

Kawakubo used her platform to blur the lines between menswear and womenswear long before the industry caught up. She frequently incorporated elements of traditional men's tailoring—such as heavy wools, oversized blazers, structured trousers, and utilitarian shirts—into her women's collections. Conversely, when she launched her menswear line (Comme des Garçons Homme) in 1978, she injected elements of vulnerability, asymmetry, and unconventional fabrics into garments for men.

The name became a self-fulfilling prophecy. It established a space where clothing was no longer a tool to signpost one's biological sex, but rather an expression of an individual’s internal landscape. Those who choose to wear Comme des Garçons clothing know that power, intellect, and style belong to no single gender.

The Paradox of Comme des Garçons

There is a beautiful irony embedded within the meaning of Comme des Garçons. Rei Kawakubo has stated in multiple interviews over the decades that she does not consider herself a feminist, nor does she view her work as explicitly political. She famously dislikes being analyzed or categorized.

Yet, by choosing a name that challenges gender norms and consistently producing clothing that defies societal expectations, her work operates as a masterclass in quiet subversion.

Furthermore, this iconic Rei Kawakubo brand has evolved far beyond its literal translation. Today, when people think of Comme des Garçons, they don’t just think of young boys; they think of the iconic red heart logo with eyes designed by Filip Pagowski for the PLAY line. They think of avant-garde architecture, experimental perfumes that smell of tar and ink, and a global retail empire managed alongside her husband, Adrian Joffe.

The name has transformed from a literal description into an abstract symbol for avant-garde thought. It stands for the rejection of the status quo, the beauty of imperfection (wabi-sabi), and the ultimate freedom of self-expression.

Conclusion: The Enduring Legacy of "Like the Boys"

Rei Kawakubo chose Comme des Garçons because it represented an ideal. It was a linguistic shortcut to an attitude of independence, strength, and structural freedom. It allowed a generation of women—and subsequently, people of all genders—to step outside the confining boxes built for them by society.

More than fifty years later, the name remains as relevant as ever. Investing in original Comme des Garçons fashion items serves as a daily reminder that fashion is not merely about decoration or conformity. At its highest level, fashion is an art form capable of shifting perspectives, breaking boundaries, and allowing us all to move through the world exactly as we please—free, untethered, and entirely on our own terms.