Dover Street Market evolves with DSM, its first in-house brand

Fashion Network

7 days ago

Dover Street Market has taken the plunge. For the first time since its creation in London in 2004, the concept store by Rei Kawakubo and Adrian Joffe has its own brand, simply called DSM, the initials that characterise the brand. The first collection is designed by Kei Ninomiya, a talented Japanese designer at the helm of the "noir" label that emerged as part of the Comme des Garçons fold. DSM will launch for the spring-summer 2026 season.
Trained at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp, the Japanese designer joined Rei Kawakubo in 2008 as a patternmaker, before going solo in 2012, still under the wing of Comme des Garçons, with his own "noir" line. A fixture on the Paris calendar since February 2020, Ninomiya is known for his intricate constructions and spectacular, fairy-tale collections. However, for his first collection for DSM, he has taken a completely opposite approach.
The collection is centred around a wardrobe designed for everyday wear, with easy-to-wear and easy-to-combine pieces, focusing on jersey. Ninomiya revisits the "preppy" spirit through a cool lens, transforming pieces from the classic English university club uniform (blazers, ties, pleated skirts, cardigans, V-neck sweaters, etc.) into casual, sporty garments, while playing with the details.
A regimental tie becomes a belt; the letters DSM form the coat of arms decorating t-shirts and jackets or extend in fine stripes down the side lines of shorts, jackets, and sweatpants. Gray or white fleece is used to make baggy pants, puffy skirts, dungarees, classic hooded jackets, chic coats, and even duffle coats.
Kei Ninomiya will be the label's first designer, and others will follow, each with their own vision. According to the brand, the idea is to work with a variety of designers, drawn from all horizons, from emerging to established designers. They will each conceptualise their own, unique project.
For the brand, this is "a new stage in the evolution of Dover Street Market", designed to "embody the spirit of beautiful chaos established over the last twenty-one years in its stores".
"DSM will act as a vessel to contain new ideas, new ways of communicating, for different categories and for a myriad of tastes," said the brand.
From the outset, Comme des Garçons' multi-brand store has featured Rei Kawakubo's flagship brand in its eight points of sale and e-shop, as well as a cutting-edge selection of young designers and better-known luxury labels. It has also developed a Brand Development division, which distributes and supports the development of some fifteen emerging brands.