***
SS18; Major Moment | Kenzo
Anyone who knows me knows that I love my Asian lineage…
So admittedly, I do get excited over anything oriental-esque.
And Kenzo is just that!
Although a French luxury house, the label was established by Japanese designer Kenzo Takada in 1970 who combined his Asian aesthetic with European techniques.
The label has obviously grown considerably and is now under the creative direction of Humberto Leon and Carol Lim, two, first-gen, LA natives born to – you guessed it – Asian parents.
Their shows are known for being exuberant.
This one was no exception.
Set as a play with two acts – one for menswear and the other, womenswear – the interlude featured aerial dancers in a vertical pas-de-deux signifying the meeting of the two points of inspiration for the collection.
One muse was Sayoko Yamaguchi, an international supermodel closely connected to Kenzo Takada, who passed away in 2007. The other, Ryuichi Sakamoto, a contemporary musician whose compositions are simultaneously sensitive and synthetic.
Notably, the entire lineup for the show was Asian.
Although the designers have said this choice was to keep as close to the muses as possible, it is still a significant step in pushing diversity on the runway and in the fashion industry as a whole.
For this collection, the designers have decided to have fun; in the past, they have been political – addressing issues like climate change.
And it shows!
The collection spat out color-saturated, boldly styled, commercially ready clothing that anyone with a penchant for the graphic would love to own.
The creative team behind the Kenzo collections seem to be doing a marvelous job of blending the past and the present…
…and that Asian edge doesn’t hurt either.
See the rest of the collection here.
Enjoy!
xx
***