Comme des Garçons, French for "like boys", is a Japanese fashion label headed by Rei Kawakubo, who is also its sole owner. The label was founded by Kawakubo in Tokyo in 1969 and established as a company in Japan in 1973, becoming successful there through the 1970s. Kawakubo’s early collections, like Issey Miyake’s, incorporated elements of traditional Japanese work-wear. Later collections were more radical and Comme des Garçons's 1981 debut show in Paris created a storm of controversy for its predominate use of black and distressed garment surfaces. Throughout the 1980s, Comme des Garçons's clothes were frequently monochromatic, asymmetrical and draped over the body, often featuring tears, holes and frayed edges.

This 2001 ensemble is representative of Kawakubo's austere, sometimes deconstructed garments, with the edges left unfinished and the combination of unlikely textile patterns in the same garment. Designed and cut in the style of a men's suit, this is in fact a woman's ensemble.