Even Comme Des Garçons Is Launching A Direct-To-Consumer Brand

The Comme des Garçons empire is sprouting another arm, this time in the form of an online-only direct-to-consumer brand. First off: this is great news for fans of the legendary Rei Kawakubo-led brand famous for fashion that’s closer to museum-worthy than wearable. In theory, the new brand will cater to fans who can’t afford to buy into CdG’s wilder (and wildly more expensive) items, and want more options like the googly-eyed heart tees available through the brand’s PLAY line. Direct-to-consumer is a business model-cum-buzzword typically used by “disruptive” upstart brands looking to cut out the middleman and trim overhead costs—Everlane and Warby Parker being the most famous examples—but CdG is an established and very cool brand with a lead designer who was the focus of an entire Met Gala (and corresponding Costume Institute exhibition) last year. What does it mean that a brand like Comme is getting into the online-only business? Read more at GQ.