Commes De Garcons PLAY - NYC T-Shirts

Commes des Garcons, founded in Japan in 1973 by visionary designer Rei Kawakubo, has carved itself a name as a distinctive name in high fashion. They made their name in menswear with sharp, arresting clothing. These are not clothes designed to party in, and they are certainly not for casual wear. This is not the case, however, with their new PLAY line, which aims to reconnect with a younger audience by producing bright, accessible fashion that belongs more to the dancefloor than the catwalk.

The line was produced in collaboration with New York based artist Filip Pagowski. Pagowski, has brought together the influences of New York street art and Soviet print art to create a line of unique stylised T-shirts. These t-shirts retain the brands distinctive sharpness, but do away with its pretensions.

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The heart logo is a strange but interesting choice. It's rendered in a deliberately messy style - a bold but simple design. The logo could have originated from either the New York street scene or a pulpy communist brochure, but really it belongs in neither. It belongs emblazoned on your chest. What you're left with is something that, like all the best logos, is instantly recognisable. For a label that doesn't typically exert itself too much over branding, Commes des Garcons have really hit the nail on the head with this one.

Commes des Garcons PLAY T-shirts' great strength lies in their flexibility of use. They can be worn on their own with a good pair of jeans, or concealed beneath a cardigan or light jacket. You could even sling an oversized shirt on top of them, provided it didn't obscure Pagowski's inspired logo. They cry out to be worn with a pair of trainers.

Their boldness makes them great for a big night out, but their simplicity also gives them everyday applications. You wouldn't look out of place wearing one of these out on the street or down the pub. You can even selfishly hog their beauty by wearing them around the house.

PLAY is going for a slightly younger audience than Commes des Garcons have traditionally targeted, and this shows through. The squinting eyes peering out from the centre of the construction paper heart is bright but not childish. It's not just a line for teens and people in their twenties, but by the same token it's not one for the dads.

Commes De Garcons PLAY - NYC T-Shirts

Article by Than Bobbo, fashion writer for Sa-kis.co.uk.

Sa-kis is an online retailer of men's fashion and designer clothing. Sa-kis stocks a wide variety of brands including Commes des Garcons and Commes des Garcons PLAY, as well as over 50 other brands.