Paris Fashion Week Review: Kenzo
Welcome to the jungle.
Yesterday every fashonista and their child/dog/latest handbag crammed into the Judo centre near Porte d’Orleans in Paris. The scrum outside was reminiscent of boxing day sales, which is apt because of the crowd's uniform — Kenzo caps and that ubiquitous tiger jumper from FW12 — everyone seems desperate to get their hands on the brand. Amazing considering the house was dead in the water not two seasons ago, but then Carol Lim and Humberto Leon (of Opening Ceremony) have the Midas touch. Indeed, the show was just as much a 101 on how to build a brand:
1. Desperate crowd outside.
2. Jam-packaged venue (not to mention dark and dangerous stairs).
3. Front row a mix of celebs (MIA), It Girls (Leigh Lezark), Fash Pack (ADR and Giovanna Battaglia), and people who actually need to be there (Tim Blanks).
4. Production: an enormous screen projected awe-inspiring graphics as the models stalked the runway.
5. A soundtrack by Blood Orange.
6. Goody bags with biscuits (not entirely necessary for brand building, but appreciated nonetheless).
And what about the clothes you say? Well, they were fun and vibrant. The initial story was utility-inspired — functional separates in stone and khaki — and then things got a little wild, with a psychedelic forest print, "Which we imagined is what the jungle might look like viewed through night-vision goggles", explained the press release — and a geometric leopard print in three colours: mustard, tangerine and turquoise. No doubt we will see that everywhere come March 2013, as Kenzo continues to amass more and more fans.
Photos courtesy of Kenzo
Alice Cavanagh
