Comme des Garçons souffle ses 40 bougies

Adrian Joffe (Photo by Chris Moore)

Rei Kawakubo, 66, is one of the great fashion forces from the last decades of the 20th century to now. Integral to her success is that she is too original to be pigeonholed. In fact, the guiding force of a fashion life that stretches way beyond clothes is an urge to think forward, encapsulated in new projects this month — from the ‘‘Black’’ stores to a collaboration with Vogue Nippon and an exhibition at the Paris store Colette.

Here is an inside look at Ms. Kawakubo’s partnership with Vogue Nippon. Photo: Comme des Garçons

An advertisement in a Tokyo railway station for the first of 10 stores devoted to the new Black Comme des Garçons guerrilla brand, which will be phased out after 18 months.