Fans of edgy Japanese label Comme des Garcons, brace yourselves: Its guerilla store concept of opening shops lasting one year each at a different location has run its course.
Say goodbye to sniffing out the brand's subversive designs of deconstructed dresses and asymmetrical jackets in unlikely locations around the world (think a public housing estate here and under a bridge in Warsaw, Poland)

Singapore, which has hosted four such stores since 2004 - all owned by graphics design whiz Theseus Chan - saw its latest store at Old School in Mount Sophia Road close in January.

Guerilla stores around the world are started with local entrepreneurs who are responsible for the running of the shop.

Chan, who is also the founder of Work Advertising which does graphics design, communications, publishing and fashion retailing, says: 'The end to this concept is not unexpected as Comme des Garcons is about creating and exploring new ideas. The guerilla concept is already four years old.'

Since 2004, when the first guerilla store opened in a disused bookstore in Berlin, Comme des Garcons has opened and closed 31 such stores, reported Women's Wear Daily.

The last, housed in a shed in a back street in the Scottish city of Glasgow, will close in November.

Those who want Comme des Garcons garb can still get a selection of seasonal items from the main line, T-shirts from its Play diffusion line as well as fragrances from Club 21.

In general, guerilla stores stock pieces from all the Comme des Garcons lines, including designs created just for the Japanese market or the guerilla stores.

Chan started Singapore's first store at Temple Street in Chinatown in 2004, moved to Haji Lane the following year, then set up shop in Bukit Merah View in 2006.

The Old School store opened in January last year.

Of the four stores, he considers the Haji Lane store his biggest success as 'it helped rejuvenate the Arab street and Bugis area, which is now commanding much higher real estate prices'.

In terms of turnover, however, he says the Mount Sophia location performed the best but declined to reveal figures.

Asked why the label was doing away with the store, a spokesman for Comme des Garcons, which is based in Tokyo, said in an e-mail: 'This concept has become over-used, with everyone else doing it.'

When the brand started the concept of 'pop-up' retail, it was applauded as ground-breaking and innovative.

Today, however, brands ranging from mobile phone giant Nokia to American hypermart Target have all copped this idea.

Meanwhile, Comme des Garcons has moved on to something new - a guerilla brand.

Last month, the company launched a temporary brand, Black, to mark its 40th anniversary.

Two pop-up corners at luxe department store Barneys in New York and multi-label boutique Colette in Paris opened last Monday and will close on Sunday.

A total of 11 points-of-sale at selected department stores, boutiques and freestanding stores in nine cities - including Dover Street Market in London, I.T. multi-label store at Causeway Bay in Hong Kong and Mitsukoshi department store in Tokyo's Ginza - now carry Black.

There are no plans to expand this number for now, which means Singapore shoppers can get their fix only when they travel.

This brand, which will be around for 18 months, will feature its iconic styles - as opposed to seasonal collections from the main line.

Typical Comme des Garcons silhouettes include deconstructed tailcoats, dark wool skirts with hems ending at awkward midcalf lengths and jodphurs with exaggerated hips.

Expect to see plenty of founder Rei Kawakubo's favourite prints, including polka dots and checkerboard.

What will thrill fans the most are Black's accessible prices, which are about half the cost of the company's main collection.

Prices range from about 60 euros (S$122) for a T-shirt to 445 euros for a jacket.

Adrian Joffe, chief executive of Comme des Garcons International and Kawakubo's husband, told Women's Wear Daily: 'Rei said she wanted Black to last as long as the recession lasts.

'It's turning morosity into positivity.'

This article was first published in Urban, The Straits Times.