Nigo’s Takeover as Creative Director of KENZO
Founded in 1970s Paris by Japanese designer Kenzo Takada,
In 2003 Nigo launched Icecream and Billionaire Boys Club alongside Pharrell Williams and later launched Human Made in 2010 alongside sk8thing, both known for their luxury streetwear aesthetic. Managing to turn all brands into somewhat of a cult movement, his designs have always embraced colour and print, making them easily recognisable much like Kenzo clothing.
Moving away from the obvious comparisons between the Japanese designers, Nigo's collaborations with household names such as Virgil Abloh and Kim Jones cemented his love for collaboration and contact book connections. The announcement came a few months after Nigo's second collaboration with Abloh for Louis Vuitton menswear, which saw the refined form, kimono-inspired shirting and Japanese streetwear references.
With Nigo at the wheel, Kenzo has a chance to recapture its iconic persona; creating the buzz of Leon and Lim, but with a mature take on Takada’s aesthetic. Catering toward a younger, more streetwear-literate audience, the brand has had a facelift with the ‘Poppy’ graphic. The AW22 show at Galerie Vivienne, with Kanye West, Pharell Williams, Julia Fox and Tyler The Creator sitting on the sidelines introduced the reinvented poppy emblem. The bright red floral made its debut in various sizes detailed and enlarged on boxy jackets, vested overalls and pageboy caps.
So it’s like 1950s and ’60s clothing remade in the ’80s, but through the lens of the 2020s. - Williams | Vogue
All of the denim in the collection was from Japan, commenting that European factories make garments too ‘clean’ for his aesthetic. The punchy floral print of calligraphic strokes was a sketch taken from Nigo’s current Aka-e teacher, a traditional ceramics style known for its vivid red colour. Signifying a new era for Kenzo, we can’t wait to see what the next season hold’s for the fashion house.
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