Carol Lim and Humberto Leon did a 360° upon taking over at the head of Kenzo. By updating the legacy of founder Kenzo Takada and bringing in an unexpected dose of American urban cool, the duo used their Spring/Summer 2018 collection as the occasion to highlight all the strengths of Kenzo’s style in Paris last week, all of it tied back to their Japanese roots. Kenzo Takada’s style is certainly recognizable – starting in the 70s, the artist gained attention for his eloquent shop: the Jungle Jap. There, he mixed modernity and romanticism with rare tact, with the colors, shapes, and lines inspired by a mixing of cultures. Soon, his prints and creatively composed pieces would earn him renown in the profession.
With live music and acrobats taking over the facade of the Lycée Camille Sée, Kenzo introduced a runway that was highly centered on Japan – in fact, the entire cast of characters came from Asia. For next summer, this duo is softly overturning the rules of ready-to-wear. By bringing together Kenzo men and women on the same catwalk, they unveiled trompe l’oeil short-suits, print mixes, and hypnotic stripes alongside the Jungle Jap, with lace cyclists ravishing women’s silhouettes. Just like Kenzo Takada back in the day, they put in place a game of proportions that dusts off fashion for the coming season. The star piece in the Spring/Summer 2018 wardrobe is the Jungle Jap printed dress with a jabot collar. With its 70s look and an improbable but highly successful pairing with striped socks, this look celebrates Kenzo’s very DNA.
All in all, this is an eclectic collection with a number of motifs that bring Carol Lim and Humberto Leon a bit further along on the brand’s modernization. Without ever erasing Kenzo’s most iconic elements, the duo brings things in line with the times to reveal the brand’s relevance. The founder followed the runway from the front row, a runway that was a manifesto of Asian aesthetics that honored two Japanese figures. The first, Ryuichi Sakamoto, pioneer in electronic music-cum-composer, militant, and dancer is loved by the brand since he “perfectly incarnates progress, reform, and spiritual awakening and enrichment”. The second, Sayoko Yamaguchi, was a famous model in the 70s. She was one of Takada’ muses in addition to being one of the first Asian models to take over fashion capitals, incarnating Japanese femininity in the process. This runway mixed past with present, just like the Jungle Jap printed dress itself.
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