Image Courtesy: Kenzo
One of the first Japanese designers to gain prominence in the Paris fashion scene, Kenzo Takada took a boat from Japan to Paris via Hong Kong and Bombay in the 1960s and never looked back. By 1970 he had created his debut collection, and it was to be the first step in the creation of his fashion empire, which by 1993 was acquired by LVMH.
After stepping down from his eponymous line in 1999, the designer continued to pursue other creative pursuits, creating the cult favourite poppy flower perfume in 2000, as well as launching a luxury homeware and lifestyle brand called K-3. A lauded and multi-faceted artist, Takada also appeared in various documentaries and TV series during his career. He was also the writer and director of the 1981 Japanese film Yume, yume no ato. As the world loses yet another fashion vanguard to the coronavirus, we look at Kenzo’s most iconic runway moments:
Coco Rocha walked the runway for the SS07 show in a dreamy, flowy floral dress.
The SS13 collection was inspired by the designer’s trip to the jungles of Thailand and the brand’s original store ‘Jungle Jap.’
In FW13 Kenzo featured their signature eye design on everything from clothes to jewelry while the models walked through an obsolete yet lavish Parisian department store.
The SS14 collection was fashion activism at its best with a nod to the global overfishing crisis, with “No fish, no nothing” slogan tees and rainfall on the runway.
The FW14 Kenzo X David Lynch show saw an elaborate set covered with mirrors, creating eerie reflections of models as they swayed past.
Read Next: Rihanna on Working From Home, Dressing for Zoom, and Savage x Fenty’s Epic New Show
