[vc_column][/vc_column][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]
Recognizable by his round figure and his glasses, the famous Japanese designer Kenzo Takada died this Sunday at the age of 81. The designer “died on Sunday, October 4, 2020 at the American Hospital of Neuilly-sur-Seine in the suites of Covid-19”, said his spokesman in a statement.
The announcement of the death of Kenzo Takada this Sunday, October 4 in the middle of Paris Fashion Week has provoked emotional reactions like that of the mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo who expressed her “immense sadness”. “What a designer! He had given color and light their rightful place in fashion. Paris is now mourning one of his sons”, she wrote on Twitter.
For her part, Nathalie Rykiel, daughter of designer Sonia Rykiel, also reacted immediately to the news. “No…not you too, my dear dear Kenzo. I’m so sad,” she lamented on Instagram.
Kenzo, the most Japanese of French brands
Born on February 27, 1939 in Himeji near Osaka, Kenzo Takada, passionate about drawing and sewing, arrived in France in 1965, by boat in the port of Marseille, and eventually settled in Paris, a city that fascinates him. He who thought he was only passing through, settled there permanently.
Modern and colorful, his first collection dates back to 1970, designed from a boutique in the Galerie Vivienne. Very quickly, his fashion with Japanese influences met with success. France and the West were conquered by his refined materials, subtle colors and floral patterns. In 1976, the designer moved to Place des Victoires. At the time, the most Japanese of the French brands was still called Jungle Jap, before being renamed in 1980 to bear its first name alone. It is the birth of Kenzo.
Graphic and floral prints
Tailored pyjamas, sweaters with kimono sleeves, embroidered flowers, silk, are the keys to the success of Kenzo, a trendy and luxurious fashion, which quickly seduces and imposes itself. Men’s fashion complements the women’s collections from the 1980s onwards, followed by children’s fashion, the world of the home and perfumery. Advertising campaigns are part of Kenzo’s assets with directors or photographers such as Peter Lindbergh or Hans Feurer lending their talent to the brand.
In 1993, Kenzo Takada sold its clothing brand to the giant LVMH. The brand retained its classics while moving toward more baroque and dreamlike collections under the artistic direction of Antonio Marras. The Japanese designer would retire six years later.
In early 2020, the designer with the look of an eternal teenager launched a design line.
Read also > KENZO PRESENTS STAY HOME, ITS NEW PROGRAM TO BETTER SUPPORT CONTAINMENT
Featured photo : ©Aurore Marechal/ABACAPRESS.COM[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
