Major Japanese fashion label Comme des Garçons has always pushed boundaries. But this time, they may have gone too far.
The brand showcased its men’s fall/winter 2020 line this week at Paris Fashion Week. A key part of the runaway look, amid the bright colors and cropped jackets, appeared to be lace front cornrow wigs and the effect is, uh, debatable.
The wigs have gotten much scrutiny from the internet, with some calling the look cultural appropriation — especially since the fashion house used majority white models for an aesthetic strongly linked to black culture.
But the use of the wigs wasn’t the only aspect that came under scrutiny. The wigs were placed atop the models’ heads like hats, nearly covering their foreheads. The final product looks, some people said, ridiculous.
“Can’t even be mad because of how ridiculously ugly this is,” wrote Twitter user Tantine P.
“Why the cornrows devouring they foreheads like that,” asked Twitter user Johnny Boy.
Not every model wore the wigs, though. A few of the black models, who had longer hair, were spared.
Julien d’Ys, the hair artist for the show, said the idea was inspired by the hairstyles of ancient Egyptian princes, and apologized on Instagram for the offense.
“Dear all, My inspiration for the comme des garçons show was Egyptian prince A Look i found truly beautiful and inspirational,” he wrote. “A look that was an hommage. Never was it my intention to hurt or offend anyone , ever. If I did I deeply apologize.”