The Kenzo Story

Kenzō Takada was born in 1939 to traditional innkeeper parents in Himeji, a centuries-old city in the Kansai region of Japan. Throughout his childhood, Takada developed an early fascination with fashion and design from reading his sister’s magazines. At 18 years old, Kenzō studied literature at the University of Kobe but soon decided to follow his dream. Becoming one of the first male students ever to be enrolled, Takada attended Tokyo’s Bunka Fashion college — although against his father’s wishes, his mother saw a creative talent in her son and championed his newfound aspirations.

Fast forward to 1960 and it wasn't long before Kenzō's talent for design was recognised: he won the Soen prize awarded to him by the college. The winning design was a white two-piece dress with a vivid blue blouse. Soon after, he began working as a designer for the Sanai department store, making up to forty styles every month.

After travelling through Hong Kong, Saigon and Mumbai, Takada arrived in a dark and gloomy Paris. Fearing he made a mistake, it was only when the young designer saw the illuminated Notre Dame cathedral that he decides he was in the right place. Inspired by the colourful tapestry of his travels, and later by the French designer André Courrèges, Takada sketched thirty designs, five of which were picked up by Louis Féraud, designer to the Parisian elite.

In 1970, Kenzō Takada opened his first boutique named ‘Jungle Jap’. With limited financial backing, the hands-on designer renovated the former antique clothing store himself. Inspired by a painting by famous French artist, Henri Rousseau aptly named Le Rêve, meaning ‘the dream’, Takada painted a mural across the boutique’s walls depicting a labyrinth of plants, flowers and wild animals, which tied in beautifully with his vision.

With attention for the young designer growing, Kenzō’s designs appeared in American Vogue— however, his statement smock tent dresses, eye-catching oversized dungarees and relaxed shoulder shapes weren't received well by the publication. However, this didn't affect the brand’s success and the designer never doubted his unique vision. And in 1979, Kenzo the brand was born following a successful fashion show in New York and so followed a series of extravagant shows that gained global recognition for their East-meets-West influences, defining a more colourful, pattern-rich design trend.

After international recognition for his innovative womenswear collections, Kenzō Takada expanded his domain and launched a menswear line. Following this, he then extended his talents to designing children’s clothing, where his playful and energetic designs were translated into a dynamic collection for kids, contributing even further to the brand’s far-reaching success.

In 1987, Kenzō Takada took his free-spirited approach to design and love of colourful prints and applied it to his first homeware collection. Following closely after, the designer took his brand into a new territory by turning his love of florals into a perfume line with the launch of Kenzo de Kenzo, and later, Parfum d'été, Le monde est beau and L'eau par Kenzo.

In 1993, Kenzō Takada decided he was ready to take a step back from the fast-paced world of fashion and sold his business to French luxury goods company LVMH Group for $80m and soon retired after a fulfilling and impactful 35-year-long career. What followed was a new era for the brand, with a series of talented creative directors guiding Kenzo into the modern age for a new generation of fashion disrupters, all the while staying true to Takada's founding vision which can be seen in every collection to this day. 

2000 – Parisian designer Gilles Rosier was chosen to take over the role of head designer. Having spent several years at designer Lacoste and travelling the world, Rosier continued the spirit of the Takada’s worldly influences.

2008 - Italian designer Antonio Marras took to the helm as the creative director of the Kenzo ready-to-wear and accessories lines. Sharing the same inspirations as Kenzō Takada, Marras drew influence from his travels and his love of tradition.

2012 - Humberto Leon and Carol Lim became co-creative directors and head designers of Kenzo, bringing a new energy to the brand. The duo spearheaded a series of collaborations with other retailers, starting with the Kenzo x Vans 2012 Summer Collection.

2018 - Kenzo launched La Collection Memento No. 2 with international superstar Britney Spears as the face of the campaign. The nostalgic collection was revealed at New York Fashion Week with the fashion show taking place in the middle of a play specially written for the event — a continuation of the brand’s theatrical reputation for extravagant fashion shows.

2019 - Carol Lim and Humberto Leon decided to leave Kenzo after eight years with the brand to focus on their own endeavours. Their last show for the Spring/Summer 2020 collection was inspired by the spirit of Kenzō Takada’s homeland, Japan, and the surrounding seas.

2020 - Appointed in 2019, Felipe Oliveira Baptista took over the creative direction of Kenzo, designing a new logo and working to embody the founder’s joyful approach to design and the youthful spirit of the brand itself. Debuting his first collection for the House of Kenzo for Autumn/Winter 2020, Baptista paid homage to Kenzō Takada’s vision and honoured what he describes as the brand’s “constant celebration of nature and cultural diversity”.

2021 - After just three seasons at Kenzo, Felipe Oliveira Baptista was succeeded by Japanese designer Tomoaki Nagao, known as Nigo. Founder of cult streetwear brand BAPE, this multi-faceted designer brought his talent for art, fashion and music to the world of Kenzo, and still does today. The appointment was also an important move for the brand, as it marked the first time a Japanese designer had been at the helm since Takada himself, carrying the torch into a new era for the forward-thinking brand.