"I think I was [always] fascinated by Asian designers: Issey Miyake, Rei Kawakubo, and Yohji Yamamoto . I started with wearing Issey. It was just that the clothes were real, but with something else to them. It took the reality to another level. For me, black was always important. And so was anybody who used the fabric and having the fabric talk. Their fabrics were modern, the shapes were modern; they weren't basic, so to speak," Karan told Refinery29. She continued: "I mean, Comme [des Garçons] is probably the most avant garde of all. [Rei] is a true artist in what she says, but on the other hand, she's able to do clothes [that reflect] great reality."