I don't think of myself as anyone special, and I would not know how to define myself. Rei Kawakubo More Quotes by Rei Kawakubo More Quotes From Rei Kawakubo I work in three shades of black. Rei Kawakubo black fashion three Feeling free inside oneself is being free. Rei Kawakubo being-free oneself feelings My intention is not to make clothes. My head would be too restricted if I only thought about making clothes. Rei Kawakubo intention clothes would-be In Comme des Garçons, I hardly do any sketches; there's no fittings on bodies, there's no models that come in and say, "Oh, a little bit like this." In the beginning, there isn't even a theme. It's like getting the whole world at your feet - to empty your mind of everything that's ever happened before, to get an empty space. Rei Kawakubo space feet mind The idea was not to make a huge business, because the bigger you get, the more restraints I thought I might get. Number one was to do what I set out to do: make new and interesting things within the size of the business that is possible to do without restraints. The second goal was to do the business in order to achieve the first goal. That's what many people don't understand. Rei Kawakubo numbers order ideas The more people that are afraid when they see new creation, the happier I am. I think the media has some responsibility to bear for people becoming more conservative. Many parts of the media have created the situation where uninteresting fashion can thrive. Rei Kawakubo fashion responsibility thinking I haven't yet made clothes that I have been totally satisfied with, and maybe I never will. Rei Kawakubo clothes satisfied made Celebrity doesn't really affect the work. What affects the work is the expectations from the outside. This is what no one understands. Rei Kawakubo expectations My approach is simple. It is nothing other than what I am thinking at the time I make each piece of clothing, whether I think it is strong and beautiful. The result is something that other people decide. Rei Kawakubo strong simple beautiful In terms of creation, I have never thought of suiting any system or abiding by any rules. In this respect I have remained free. The necessity has grown, as we have gotten bigger, to think about commercial aspects of the business more and more, because of the responsibility we have toward our staff and our factories. Rei Kawakubo abiding responsibility thinking I've always said that growing up in postwar Japan, I never felt any connection to my work through those experiences. The work I do really comes from inside myself. For me, being born in Japan was an accident. Rei Kawakubo japan connections growing-up There are no limits - I endeavor to make clothes that didn't exist before. Rei Kawakubo endeavor clothes limits Not only in the creative world but also in the sports world. The most successful achievers in sports are people that are really driven and have that spirit of hunger. Rei Kawakubo successful sports people The same spirit runs through everything I do. Rei Kawakubo spirit running Years ago, it was easier to make new things than it is now. The weight of experience weighs heavily, and the expectations; everybody wants to see something they haven't seen before. Now, with social media, with too much information, with the speed of information - all that is making it harder and harder to realize the objective. Rei Kawakubo media expectations years I'd rather [the collection] have no title. Journalists like titles. That's why I give them to you. Rei Kawakubo journalist titles giving For me, I haven't succeeded in any way whatsoever. Rei Kawakubo havens way I identified very much with punk, not only in the fashion sector, but in every other sector. The very nature of doing something new and free meant something that was against authority. Rei Kawakubo punk something-new fashion There's always a pattern in order to make a thing, but the starting point must be something I've never seen before. It's not two-dimensional, but it's like a sample. I work with patterns like a sculptor. I try to get [the team] not to work on a body, [but] to work on a free space, on a table. The work is basically on flat surfaces. Rei Kawakubo team space two I am a clothes maker, and that's all I am. I only want to talk about the making of the clothes. I don't feel the need to go out there and explain that. Rei Kawakubo clothes want needs