1968
PACO
RABANNE
Dress
Ca. 1968
Paco Rabanne, French,
born Spain, 1934
Black rhodoid and silver metal
Purchase, The Gould Family Foundation, in memory of
Jo Copeland, 2019 (2019.558)
2015
NOIR KEI NINOMIYA
Dress
Spring/summer 2015
Noir Kei Ninomiya, Japanese, founded 2012
Black synthetic leather
and metal studs
Courtesy noir kei ninomiya
Comme des Garcons
Paco Rabanne presented his first collection, “Twelve Experimental Dresses,” in 1964 and followed it in 1966 with a couture collection called “Twelve Unwearable Dresses.” The collections featured designs constructed of aluminum plates joined by jump rings, a technique borrowed from metalwork. This micro-mini dress from 1969 is made of discs of black Rhodoïd, or cellulose acetate, and silver metal rings layered for coverage at the bust and the waist. The effect is a space-age interpretation of medieval chain mail.
Kei Ninomiya began his design career as a patternmaker for Comme des Garçons and presented his first collection for the house under the label noir kei ninomiya in 2012. Inspired by Rei Kawakubo’s work, Ninomiya’s design strategy is based on innovative construction techniques and unconventional materials. Like Rabanne, he creates garments using modular units of synthetic fabric joined with hardware rather than seams. This shift dress from the designer’s spring/summer 2015 collection is constructed of black synthetic leather flowers and metal studs.
Kei Ninomiya began his design career as a patternmaker for Comme des Garçons and presented his first collection for the house under the label noir kei ninomiya in 2012. Inspired by Rei Kawakubo’s work, Ninomiya’s design strategy is based on innovative construction techniques and unconventional materials. Like Rabanne, he creates garments using modular units of synthetic fabric joined with hardware rather than seams. This shift dress from the designer’s spring/summer 2015 collection is constructed of black synthetic leather flowers and metal studs.