With an history of over forty years on the shoulders, Kenzo’s arty inspirations are no big news to our eyes. After the founder Kenzo Takada’s retirement in 1999 to pursue a personal artistic path, the duo Humberto Leon and Carol Lim (responsible of the unmissable tiger design we’ve seen on Beyonce, Spike Jonze and Lorde’s sweatshirts), in chief from 2012, has continued the conduct of the master, giving the brand a futuristic direction that yet remains faithful to the founder’s archive and inspirations.
On the occasion of Fall/Winter collection’s launch, presented in Paris in early March, they presented their reinterpretation of famous Henri Rousseau’s painting: Le Rêve. The painting, one of Takada’s favorites, was already reproduced in the maison’s boutique during the early 80s. this time, it also takes on the third dimension under Thomas Traum’s lenses in a film that brings to life the landscape of the renowned painting. The two lead characters hear the jungle’s call while the sun is rising and come together under an uprising moon in a dreamy looking narrative.
Main traits of the collection are the oversized knits in bright tones and the alternating patterns: from colorful stripes to prints evoking the painting’s aesthetic, to primitive drawings appearing on trousers and sweaters. Skirts with asymmetric voulants, coats with furry wrists and cozy turtlenecks, the key pieces are still the accessories showing Rousseau’s motifs: backpack, cap and bumbag finished in ram’s fur. One of the painter’s dreams was to see his painting rendered on clothing and, finally, his dream came true thanks to maison Kenzo. Among Le Rêve’s flora and fauna we can also glimpse a new design for the logo. Is this an anticipation of a rebranding or simply a spin off? Stay Tuned.