For the CdG spring 2023 collection, the first one back in Paris after the Covid Pandemic, Rei Kawakubo commented on its theme, "A lamentation for the sorrow in the world today/ And a feeling of wanting to stand together."
Luke Leitch, who reported on the collection for the Vogue online site, wrote, "Kawakubo invited us to take a beat, let our smiles slip, and look inward to the apparently inescapable in order to thwart it together."
It's all in the interpretation.
RK's design, our interpretation.
"The only thing we'd all agree upon is that this was not conventional clothing" (Leitch)
However, Rei Kawakubo will also deliver her lamentation for the sorrow in the world in more conventional forms.
The upper dress and top is the more "wearable to work" of this creation. Do you see it?
My take on the dress form, in a dullish green crepe. Goes well with black.
Lamentation: The passionate expression of grief or sorrow; weeping.
'The Lamentation' painted by Giotto Di Bondone, 1305'ish.
This work is considered the height of Giotto's artistry. Every line, look and gesture leads to two faces - the mother's and her dead son's.
I saw the fescoe in its Chapel of the Scrovegni, Padua, alongside the other marvellous paintings, which reflect Christ's passion. It reaffirms the glory of this artist in his ability to represent human figures in all their humanity.
The story goes that Giotto was born in the mountains (1267 or there about) among the goats and sheep, and taught himself to draw in the earth, while watching over his flock. Supposedly, Cimabue, a Florentine painter, found Giotto tending his animals, saw him drawing in the earth with a stick, instantly seeing the boy's natural talent. Cimabue took Giotto on as a pupil, with pupil eventually surpassing master.
Both men are acknowledged in Purgatorio, the second part of Dante's Divine Comedy.
Cimabue thought to hold the field in painting,
and now Giotto hath the cry,
so that the fame of the other is obscured.
Here is a very good discussion and analysis of 'The Lamentation'.
Lamentation, Martha Graham's dance, premiered NYC, January 8, 1930.
Martha Graham dancing Lamentation.
This link shows you a sketch for the costume designed by Graham, which she described as "though you were stretching inside your own skin."
https://artsandculture.google.com/asset/costume-sketch-for-martha-graham-s-lamentation-1930/DwHM4DE5oR4U2w?hl=en
Sorrow: A feeling of deep disappointment or other misfortune suffered by oneself or others; feeling or display of deep distress.
"With your long blond hair and your eyes of blue
The only thing I ever got from you
Was sorrow, sorrow."
"Parting is such sweet sorrow"
And Vincent knew all about sorrow.
Layers of lamentation and sorrow are to be found within the social rituals of mourning dress.
In the western world, due to Queen Victoria's influence, black mourning clothes became the outer reflection of the wearer's grief and sorrow. 
The black colour palette would get lighter as the stages of mourning progressed, bearing in mind that these aspects concerning the fabrics of mourning were more applicable within the "leisured classes".
Different fabrics were used for the different stages of mourning. The most frequently used fabric was crepe. It is a matted dull, gauze-like fabric and was able to be dyed a deep black. Velvet was also frequently used (among the wealthier classes) as it was a rich and luxurious fabric with a minimal lustre. Silk was used as well, even though it had a sheen and of a lightweight feel. Such properties reflected the inconsolable nature of a widow's grief.
The weight of the fabric added to the idea of sorrow, with heavier ones used for bearing the loss of a much loved one.
This link presents interesting information regard Victorian mourning clothes.
Information to guide you in your mourning during Victorian era.
I have recently read The Portrait of a Lady, which is set in the 1870s.
Descriptions of protagonist Isabel Archer's dress are limited, but any comment James' does make, black is the colour he mentions. When Isabel first appears at Gardencourt, she is described as a tall girl in a black dress. Mourning the death of her father and later her uncle, Isabel spends the the first half of the novel in mourning attire. If I remember right, there is a description in the latter half of a lighter coloured dress with black ribbons. And at the end of the novel her cousin Ralph dies, so she will be remaining in mourning attire.
And, of course this moving image, beamed across the world in 2021, Covid 19 pandemic lockdown measures at Prince Philip's funeral. Who could not feel compassion for the widow in this situation. She was not able to have her family around her.
Black mourning dress dates back to the Romans, who would attire themselves in the Toga Pulla, a dark coloured toga, during mourning or times of imperial crisis.
But, black wasn't always the colour of mourning in the west, nor is it a universal funeral colour.
Previous to the 19th century, white was common. It was an affordable fabric colour, and one that most people had within their wardrobe.
A famous image of Mary Queen of Scots in her white mourning cap, following the death of her father-in-law, mother and first husband, Francis II of France.
Today, people in Eastern Asia wear white mourning clothes, as the colour is a symbol of purity and rebirth, which resonates closely with the tenets of Buddhism.
Red has been adopted as a colour of mourning in South Africa, as it represents the bloodshed suffered during its Apartheid era. Archbishop Tutu wore red at Nelson Mandela's 2013 funeral.
Purple is often worn by committed catholics as a sign of mourning and symbol of Christ's passion.
Attire for Day of the Dead celebration in Mexico
One other colour strongly associated with death and mourning, maybe not so much today, gold.
Ancient Egypt associated gold with eternal life and royal mourning.
This is a cool moodboard created by one my Yr. 10 students last year. It's a creative reflection of the above.
For further information about various mourning colours https://www.lovetoknow.com/life/grief-loss/mourning-colors-cultures-from-around-world
In 2014 The Metropolitan Museum ran an exhibition, "Death Becomes Her - A Century of Mourning Attire".
Two sites which provide good images. The second one has a good shot of a purple mourning dress.
Harold Koda, the curator of the above exhibition, described fashion as a kind of constant memento mori (an object kept as a reminder of the inevitability of death). "As soon as a trend is born, it is destined to die. Nothing is permanent in fashion."
It appears that the "Death Becomes Her" exhibition could have inspired a number of the 2015/16 Autumn/Winter collections.
Take Comme des Garcons 'Ceremony of Separation' for example, where Rei Kawakubo explored the ultimate ceremony of parting or separation. "I imagined that the pain of separating can be overcome and relieved in a way by a new beauty and strength derived from the act of ceremony".
The colour palette black, white and gold was a strong connection with death and mourning. White, the Eastern expression of loss. Black, the Western expression of loss. Kawakubo said about Gold, it is "the colour that is best employed to see off the departed". Think instantly of the Egyptian pharaohs.
Here is a poignant quote from someone who attended this CdG collection show, "I had lost my mother to cancer only months before seeing the Comme des Garcons show, and the model's gazes reminded me of my final moments with her. Who knew a fashion show could help facilitate the five stages of grief."
The genius Julien d'Y created the hair designs for the collection, and they brilliantly resembled lace veils for widows mourning.
As it was considered inappropriate for a Victorian woman to show emotion in public, the veil was the way to allow her to not show her tears. Veil wearing was first modeled after nuns, who covered their hair and occasionally their faces as a sign of propriety.
A famous image of a young widow in her mourning veil.
Julien d'Y's fabulous headpiece veils for the CdG A/W 2015 collection. Astounding!
Thom Browne, who is New York based was influenced by the exhibition, although he deliberately resisted viewing it to avoid overt references. His collection involved a cluster of angels, a funeral and apparently even a grim reaper.
Browne was moved by "the idea that mourning is not always such a sad thing. I wanted to make mourning clothing that looked romantic and beautiful, and I thought that very uplifting."
A video account of the collection. I do love the cluster of angels.
Gareth Pugh presented an interesting 2015 Autumn/Winter collection. It was not so much overtly inspired ala 'Death Becomes Her', but his comment, "I was exploring the idea of being part of something bigger than yourself, and about having faith - blind faith in something that you can't necessarily control". I think that's a connection with mortality.
Pugh's show began with a slightly disturbing film (it's the scissors and the accompanying soundtrack!), by Ruth Hogben, starring French model Aymeline Valade.
See what you think.
The cutting of the hair does make me think about various cultural customs of hair cutting following the death of a loved one.
Tongan cultural ritual (courtesy Wikipedia)
During the initial mourning period the mourners (especially the women) are not supposed to do their hair, but let it hang loose and unattended. At the end of the 10 days it will be officially cut. In pre-Christian time, in addition, a part of the little finger (or any other finger if the little finger was already consumed on earlier occasions) would be cut off. That many people were missing their little fingers was directly noted by Abel Tasman in 1643. Even as late as 1865 Tēvita ʻUnga, King George Tupou I's son, the crown prince, was described as "minus 2 fingers, cut off as a tribute to some deceased relatives" (as well as having lost one eye).[2]
After the 10th day, female relatives cut their hair. Here Princess Phaedra Fusituʻa has her hair cut, while her mother, Lupepauʻu, watches from the right. As the hair and the head (especially of royalty) are considered taboo, it must be done by someone outside the Tongan ranking system, such as Māori Princess Heeni Katipa (far left).
I also remember the 2005 film 'Water', by director Deepa Mahta, which explored the lives of Hindi widows.
The trailer...beginning scenes establish Chuya's situation.
The sorrow and lamentation of widows.
Alexander McQueen's Autumn/Winter 2006/07 collection, 'The Widows of Culloden'.
This collection was inspired by McQueen's Scottish ancestry, and made extensive use of his family tartan, plus tweeds, taffetas and chiffons, as only McQueen could deliver in his melancholic vision of Scotland after the 1746 Battle of Culloden.
(Someone in a melancholia enters a state of self-reflection and takes bittersweet pleasure in sad beauty and fading memories. Melancholy permits us to walk the fine line between sadness and reverie. Do you know, I totally understand this emotional concept. It is something I occasionally experience.)
McQueen's glorious work with his family tartan for 'The Widows of Culloden'.
Many of the tartan garments included aspects of the traditional feileadh-mor, a large piece of fabric which is wrapped around the body and held by a belt, and, of course, the kilt.
And this one, I simply think, a wonderful 'Monarch of the Glen'.
Watch it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCrx8l5YFMQ
Bonnie Prince Charlie's battle of Culloden and the widows he left behind.
Watch this 1964 docudrama and you won't call it a battle, you'll call it a slaughter!
But BPC was alright, he simply pulled on the reins and rode off on his fine white steed.
Total lamentation and sorrow.sltsltbsigns off.
