# Rei Kawakubo artist context and auction value notes

Canonical page: https://appraisily.com/artist/rei-kawakubo/
Profile generated: 2026-05-10T10:47:31.549Z
Quality: high confidence, strong sources

## Artist identity

- Birth date: 1942-10-11
- Nationality: Japanese
- Movements: Avant-garde fashion
- Common media: Fashion and clothing design

## About Rei Kawakubo

Rei Kawakubo (born October 11, 1942, Tokyo) is a Japanese fashion designer and the founder of the influential label Comme des Garçons. Since establishing her house in Tokyo in 1969 and presenting her first Paris collection in 1981, Kawakubo has been recognized as one of the most significant forces in avant-garde fashion. Her work challenges conventional ideas of beauty, silhouette, and garment construction, often employing asymmetry, distressed fabrics, and monochromatic palettes. The Museum of Modern Art in New York holds examples of her designs in its permanent collection, reflecting her importance beyond fashion into the broader visual arts. Collectors and institutions alike have sought her pieces for their conceptual rigor and historical significance within late-twentieth and early-twenty-first century design.

## Common works and media

Common works encountered at auction and appraisal include Comme des Garçons garments such as jackets, coats, dresses, and knitwear, often in black or muted tones with deconstructed or oversized silhouettes. Runway samples, prototype pieces, and collaborations with other brands or artists also appear. Accessories, fragrances, and limited-edition items from the broader Comme des Garçons family of labels may also be catalogued under Kawakubo's name.

## Market and appraisal context

Kawakubo's designs appear regularly at major auction houses, with over 440 catalogued lots spanning ready-to-wear garments, runway pieces, and collaborations. Key valuation factors include the specific Comme des Garçons sub-label (e.g., main line, Homme, Play), the collection season or year, condition, provenance linking to notable wearers or exhibitions, and whether the piece is a runway sample or production item. Collectors should verify authenticity through original labels, tags, and construction details, as the market includes reinterpretations and licensed reproductions.

## Appraisily data basis

Appraisily artist pages combine artist identity research from museum records, library authority files, and biographical sources with auction records, auction-house context, sale dates, realized prices, and comparable lots when those records are available.

## Sources

- Wikidata: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q268033
- Getty Vocabulary Program: https://vocab.getty.edu/page/ulan/500017874
- VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/95790811/
- Library of Congress: https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n83142634
- The Museum of Modern Art: https://www.moma.org/artists/68791
- RKD - Netherlands Institute for Art History: https://rkd.nl/en/explore/artists/229648