This skirt was designed by Junya Watanabe (born 1961) of Comme des Garçons. He graduated from Japan's leading fashion school, Bunka Fashion College in Tokyo in 1984. He immediately joined Comme des Garçons and became head of Comme des Garçons Tricot in 1987. In 1992 he launched his own Junya Watanabe label within the Comme des Garçons' label.

Watanabe shares Kawakubo's interest in innovative fabrics and construction, as well as drawing inspiration from historical dress. As with this skirt, his designs for womenswear tend to be feminine with deceptively simple silhouettes, which often belies a complex construction of tucks, pleats and folds.

Watanabe says "I never design for a specific type of woman, and my work is never theme based. I simply spend 360 days a year designing a range of second lines for Comme des Garçons, where I sometimes come across materials or a construction that sticks in my mind. I take these and explore them and seek to develop them in my own collection.' ('Made in Japan', published by Central Museum, Utrecht, 2001).

The piece forms part of The Gene Sherman Collection. The Collection reflects Sherman's individual style as well as her appreciation of Japanese fashion. Dr Gene Sherman is Director of Sherman Contemporary Art Foundation (SCAF) in Paddington, Sydney. Its predecessor, Sherman Galleries, founded in 1988, was one of Australia's major commercial art galleries, until it closed in 2007. Dr Sherman organised many exhibitions of contemporary art from Australia and the Asia-Pacific region and has played an important role connecting art and artists in Australia and the Asia-Pacific region. Dr Gene Sherman was a trustee of the Powerhouse Museum between 1995 and 2001 and special advisor to the Museum between 2002 and 2004. Born in South Africa, Sherman lives in Sydney with her husband Brian Sherman.

Min-Jung Kim
Curator, Asian Arts & Design
November 2008

Designed and made by Junya Watanabe for Comme des Garçons.

The skirt was owned by Gene Sherman in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia from the late 1990s until 2007.

This collection of Japanese fashion, designed by four fashion houses, Issey Miyake, Yohji Yamamoto, Comme des Garçons and the Japanese-Australian designer Akira Isogawa, was formed by Dr Gene Sherman from the late 1980s to 2007 and donated to the Powerhouse Museum in 2009 under the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program.

Dr Gene Sherman has been collecting avant-garde Japanese fashion for about 20 years. Dr Sherman bought her first piece of Japanese clothing - an asymmetrical one-armed leather jacket by Issey Miyake which is included in this donation - at Rhonda Parry's boutique in Double Bay in 1985. Since then, she has only worn clothes designed by Issey Miyake, Yohji Yamamoto, Comme des Garçons and Akira Isogawa. She explained that her wardrobe consisted of only 20 pieces, noting that "when I acquire something, I retire a piece into my archives". Sherman had special black cardboard boxes made to museum archival standards for storing these 'retired' pieces in her attic.

Skirt, womens, denim, cotton, designed and made by Junya Watanbe for Comme des Garçons, Japan, 2001, owned by Gene Sherman, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, 2001-2007.

This green denim skirt has four buttons sewn in two lines down the front. The buttonholes do not always correspond to a button, with some being open and others closed. It has two (2) buckles with straps on each side and towards the hemline. It has two (2) pockets on each side, each beside a buckle and strap. It has two (2) splits, one on each side. It also has a short layer at the back.

Made: Comme des Garcons; Japan; 1996 - 2007

Designed: Junya, Watanabe; Japan; 1996 - 2007

Owned: Sherman, Gene; Sydney, New South Wales; 1996 - 2007

Black makers label sewn inside at the centre back of the waistline, with white lettering 'JUNYA WATANABE/ COMME DES GARÃ?ONS'. Three (3) white size and product care labels are sewn behind makers label, with English, French and Japanese text, 'JQ-SO43'.

2009/16/37

1996 - 2007

860 mm