Arising from the darkness of shadows and interplay of the six senses is the Fall/Winter 2021 collection by Comme des Garçons Homme Plus, a feat of sharp contrasts.

In a largely black and white collection punctuated by vivid bursts of lime green and bright yellow, the new “Darkroom” collection debuted at a sharply sleek runway show at the label’s Tokyo headquarters, drawing out the mastery of the ambiguous space of a darkroom—where creation becomes tangible, where progress becomes the norm.

Playing with silhouettes, drastic cuts and the dynamic between dark and light, stark black versus vivid white, the collection brings the boldness and streetwear integral to Comme des Garçons to an elevated level, evoking cool sophistication and effortless chicness in the garments.

Fine tailoring reveals plays on shape—trousers that billow around the legs in just the right way, an oversized coat that is boxy yet not bulky, tees that are long and wide—and pattern, playing with lines in garments that have stripes, checkers and plaid motifs in varying thickness. 

The collection finds a way to make black and white bold, innovative, fresh without being boring or redundant. Standout pieces include a long, oversized coat of mixed fabrics, playing with sophisticated grey and edgy navy; an off-white blazer with asymmetrical tailoring; and headpieces made of black high heeled shoes created in collaboration with American sculpture artist Willie Cole.

“I came across the sculptures of the New Jersey-based artist Willie Cole, which included these powerful masks made up from black high heeled shoes,” said Rei Kawakubo, founder of Comme des Garçons. “I am constantly looking for strong images and I suddenly had the idea to ask Willie if he would consider making headpieces instead of face masks using black high heeled shoes. Even though he had never made any headpieces, he really rose to the challenge and we worked together to create these headpieces.” 

Adhering to the innovative streetwear theme of the collection was the unveiling of the black and white Nike Foamposite Sneaker, a first-time original mold by CDG Homme Plus with a rippling, three-dimensional effect, all-black or all-white with concentric circles.

Shop the Comme des Garçons Homme Plus Fall/Winter ‘21 collection here.