Independent Art Fair Centers on Rei Kawakubo’s Comme des Garçons Couture
The Independent art fair in New York will feature a centerpiece installation of recent couture looks from Comme des Garçons, marking Rei Kawakubo's first solo presentation in the city since her 2017 Metropolitan Museum of Art exhibition. Founder Elizabeth Dee describes Kawakubo's work as pivotal in pushing boundaries against corporatization. The fair moves to Pier 36, doubling its footprint, while reducing exhibitors to 76 and lowering booth fees to encourage bold single-artist presentations.
Key facts
- Independent art fair opens May 14 at Pier 36 in New York.
- Centerpiece is an installation of recent Comme des Garçons couture by Rei Kawakubo.
- This is Kawakubo's first solo New York presentation since her 2017 Met Costume Institute show.
- Founder Elizabeth Dee calls the installation a 'statement of purpose' for the fair's evolution.
- Independent moves from Spring Studios to Pier 36, more than doubling its square footage.
- Exhibitor list reduced to 76 from 83 in 2025.
- Booth fees reduced to encourage single-artist presentations.
- Dee cites Kawakubo's work as pivotal in resisting corporatization and monoculture in the art world.
Entities
Artists
- Rei Kawakubo
- Maurizio Cattelan
- Beeple
Institutions
- Independent
- Comme des Garçons
- Metropolitan Museum of Art
- Costume Institute
- Spring Studios
- Pier 36
Locations
- New York
- TriBeCa
- South Street
- East River