Junya Watanabe's storied past dates back to the rise of Comme des Garçons in the '80s, when Rei Kawakubo's bold and innovative designs helped shape a collective fashion movement within Japan and brought it to the world, becoming a global household name in the process. Entering the Comme des Garçons family in 1984 as a pattern making apprentice fresh out of the prestigious Bunka Fashion College, Junya would go on to become Rei's protege and the chief designer of Tricot knitwear line, and was soon also heading up design for Comme des Garçons Homme. Having already built up an impressive repertoire, he was finally given his namesake womenswear line in 1993 and began showing in Paris later that year. With bold and colorful graphic patterns and futuristic reworking of traditional wardrobe staples in unconventional technical fabrics, Junya's MAN line has carried the torch for the avant garde spirit of Comme des Garçons within menswear since its debut in 2001 and is largely considered one of the most innovative, yet uniquely wearable collections available to date.

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