Welcome to the 80th insertion of DEMUR®, an analytical series highlighting the intricacies of the artistic world and the minutiae lying within. In this episode we explore the extinct with Shimoda Masakatsu, getting an inside look at his collaboration with Comme Des Garcons.
It was the summer of 2011 when Shimoda Masakatsu sat down to construct his first headpiece. He had just returned from a dinosaur exhibition and had felt compelled to create, inspired by his childlike obsession with the monolithic reptiles. Being a traditional artist, he utilized the materials that surrounded him, beginning to form horns and other extremities that compose the fossil-like creatures.
Each piece takes roughly 2-3 weeks to complete, first beginning in the raw 2D form, then struggling to actualize the drawing into a physical state. By sewing blank canvases together and stuffing them with cotton, he’s able to complete the masks without worry of fragility or tear, the textile resilient and rather coarse. Exclusively using paper, coloured pencils and his sewing machine, the artist is able to manipulate his medium in regard to distressing and size, despite the tedious manner.
After putting on his first creation, Masakatsu felt “stronger”, providing insight of his growing interest in the essence of vitality. At this point, the creative’s artistic career consisted of a single publishing, making his collaboration with Comme des Garcons an unchallenged paramount. He was previously aware of Rei Kawakubo - the label’s director, but “thought she was someone who I would never get a chance to meet in person, like a model in a magazine.”
He was recruited to work on the Homme Plus sub-label for their upcoming Autumn 2018 collection, producing an assortment of T-rex and Triceratop headpieces, as well as an abundance of others. This time, Masakatsu used wired structures and cotton on the interior, allowing for a structured fit when worn. 12/32 looks featured the silhouettes, causing the internet to erupt with questions. However, this wasn’t Kawakubo’s first rodeo in the park, unveiling Dino-centric Air Force 1’s a season prior.
