Philosophy
Kenzo is a French haute couture brand for women, men and children.
The Japanese designer Kenzo Takada founded the company in 1970 and as soon as he opens his boutique on Rue Vivienne, Paris, he revolutionizes the style of that era thanks to new materials, fabrics and stylistic choices, featuring traditional Japanese patterns; myths, legends and nature, meet the cultural and artistic ferment of that period.
Since 1993 the brand Kenzo has been being part of the LVMH group, and still today it mixes western and eastern style, with constant references to the Japanese world, refitted with a modern twist.
The tones and graphic elements of prints, derived from the Japanese woodcuts, combine perfectly with the tradition Parisian couture.
Kenzo has always been fun, young and versatile; it perfectly coincides with the "joie de vivre" of Renoir, the impressionist painter who made flowers as an element of recognition, just like Kenzo.
In 2003 the Italian fashion designer Antonio Marras became the new artistic Director of the French maison; he presents a charming prêt-a-porter, telling the Kenzo’s "emotional fashion" with a contemporary language, a poetic fusion between art and fashion system.
Culture and design, tailoring, color and attention to detail meet the legendary Kenzo’s rich decorations, which have always taken inspiration from the visual arts, Klimt, the 30’s noir movies,the popular folklore: oriental influences and Japanese kimonos, as well as Russian references and the traditional costumes of Sardinia, Marras’s homeland.
Perfumes have written an important chapter in Kenzo’s history.
Kenzo Parfums, inaugurated in 1988, launched new fragrances which blend the poetry of western and eastern cultures; the most important scents are Kenzo pour Homme (1991) Kenzo Amour (2006) and the famous Flower by Kenzo (2000).
Cosmetics and body care have always been part of the Kenzo’s DNA, and, in 2001, the brand launched Kenzoki, skincare products inspired by the Japanese knowledge of nature and plants.
Four sophisticated products, with a light texture, take inspiration from the typical elements of Asian vegetation: the white lotus, bamboo, ginger and rice.
Ethereal atmospheres, voluptuous fragrances and enchanting scenery have always characterized Kenzo’s collections.
Garments are romantic and esoteric, well-known for overlays, precious fabrics and stylistic mix; as regards colours, the brand focuses on a wide chromatic kaleidoscope, where blue, gray, black and white, beige, moss green, mustard and cranberry blend in luxurious bucolic fantasies, geometric distortions and checkered patterns
Long dresses, tunics and large knitwear are embellished with floral embroideries, in contrast with impalpable leggings, monochromatic jackets and camo suits.
Marras left the brand in 2011, to dedicate himself to his personal projects; the artistic duo Humberto Leon and Carol Lim are the new Kenzo’s creative directors.
Humberto and Carol, young co-founders of Opening Ceremony, the popular concept store in New York, develop a new "no couture" approach, through deconstructed shapes, fabrics, prints and colors.
They enrich the legendary Kenzo logo and innovate collections with unusual materials, shades, patterns, mixing the creativity and freshness of the New York street style.
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