Rei Kawakubo's COMME des GARÇONS HOMME PLUS Spring/Summer 2017 collection show was held in the basement of Le Centrial, a complex office building formerly used by the Banque de Lyon. The theme was the Emperor's New Clothes. Kawakubo began designing clothes out of a sense of crisis, fearing that people might lose sight of themselves amidst an abundance of material objects and information. She came up with the idea of creating sheer clothing to ridicule this situation. It was as if she was sending a message: don't become like the emperor, worshipped so much that you don't realize you're naked. The collection featured sheer pieces, such as coats made from various types of translucent polyurethane and jackets made from PVC. While previous looks have been completed by combining shirts and jackets, this season Kawakubo proposed "tailoring against bare skin." The jackets were soft and free of interlining, and the outer fabric was used for the lining. Another eye-catching series was a suit printed with the work of Italian painter Piero Fornasetti. Jackets lined with the printed outer fabric, as well as unlined, raw-edged jackets, were paired with hand-painted lace-up shoes in shades of green and red.

For the finale, models appeared in boxer shorts and silicone rubber vests, as well as PVC coats and skirts. The audience erupted in thunderous applause.