Kenzo Takada

by Kazuko Masui, Chihiro Masui

In 1970, the young Japanese designer Kenzo Takada opened his first boutique, Jungle Jap, in Paris and revolutionized the fashion world. His colorful, ethnic, and nomadic- influenced collections, made with luxurious and vibrantly patterned textiles, tweaked the conventions of haute couture while maintaining the quality of traditional European clothing houses. He was influenced by Parisian fashion and Japanese kimonos, boldly mixing colors and prints, cuts and materials. His vibrant palette and pattern combinations were joyful and whimsical, and very different from the subtle tailoring of the traditional Paris couturier. In his inspired blend of the opulent and the exotic, he developed a signature style and found early success.

With stunning photography, and over 300 sketches from Kenzo's private collection, this book traces more than forty years of his creative output. It includes photographs from his high-energy runway shows, in addition to personal photographs, and a behind-the-scene look at the creation of a spectacular wedding dress, opening a window on the creative process and capturing Kenzo's energy, vision, and presence. Superbly illustrated throughout with penciled and hand colored sketches, swatched drawings, and previously unpublished archival photographs, the authors explore Kenzo's career, tracing the evolution of his cult label in a look-book of visual exuberance.

Genres: Fashion

464 pages, Hardcover

Published January 15, 2019

Reviews

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kazuko Masui's chronicle of Kenzo's career is presented without pretension; its materials are exhibited plainly and properly. This may turn off some readers used to the editorializing that typifies many fashion retrospectives but I personally found it quite refreshing. Being given access to so many of Kenzo's archival sketches—many complete with corresponding swatches—is nothing short of a rare privilege and I can't think of many other designers in recent history whose work unequivocally speaks for itself... Notwithstanding, the book still does a great job of illustrating that Kenzo was the delightful man who dreamed up all this ebullience, rapt of Paris, Europe, Africa, Rousseau, Kurosawa—the world!

So many fashion compendiums of this ilk provide ingress to the tortured, troubled lives of their subjects. Kenzo is an exception. I come away from this book with a tremendously propulsive feeling knowing that to spread joy across the world was at the heart of Kenzo's aspirations, and that he achieved it ten times the world over. What a truly beautiful soul.

[Nawel Sai · Rating 3 out of 5]

Would appreciate more text about Kenzo’s life as a designer. But still, love all the drawings.