Paris Fashion Week 2014: Comme des Garçons, knitty and witty

PARIS -- The beauty of Comme des Garçons shows is how they make the mind wander. Whenever I see one of designer Rei Kawakubo's collections, it's like visiting a contemporary art show, one that challenges you, makes you dream, or maybe leaves you scratching your head.

The fall Comme des Garçons collection was more straightforward than some of Kawakubo's recent outings. It was a meditation on knitwear, in all it's comfy, cozy, security blanket glory, as well as its camouflaging, concealing, constraining potential.

The timing couldn't have been better. Knitwear of every stitch is one of the biggest trends for the fall 2014 season, from The Row's yeti-sized knitted fur and cashmere ensembles shown in New York three weeks ago, to Isabel Marant's mossy green nubby cardigans shown in Paris on Friday.

So when Kawakubo built assemblages of what looked like upcycled cardigan sweaters, multiples pieced on top of one another, cocooning the models, it felt a little like an inside joke.

Some of the styles had puzzle-piece knit forms, stuffed like pillows, and affixed, around models' torsos, which made me think of baggage, albeit soft and squishy baggage, perhaps a spare tire around the tummy.

Other garments constrained the arms, or obscured the eyes, making them more menacing than warm and fuzzy.

One of the most remarkable pieces, a giant, nearly human-size hood, swallowed the model's top half.

Who knew knitwear could be so provocative? Well that was the point. Obviously, Kawakubo knew.

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