Kenzo has always been and will always be associated with the fashion brand he founded for most people. The history of the Kenzo brand has been inextricably linked to its founder’s biography.
Kenzo Takada was born in a small Japanese town Himeji in 1939. He was the fifth son of the family. His father owned a tea house and was not a wealthy man. His parents did not want and could not give his son an outstanding education. As a boy, Takada realized that he wanted to be a fashion designer and study and work simultaneously. After receiving a penny literally, he managed to enter the prestigious Bunka Gakuen College in 1958, which is considered one of the best educational institutions in the country associated with the world of fashion. This institution was intended for women. In conservative Japan, the fashion business was not considered a prestigious occupation for men. But it did not stop Takadu, and he was one of the first young men who managed to get into college.
The young designer had enough perseverance and courage to go towards his dream continually. After graduating from college, he worked for some time in short positions in Tokyo. And then he was lucky – in 1965, the area in which he lived was subject to demolition, all residents received compensation to buy new housing in other parts of the city. But Takada spent all his money to move to the other side of the world – to Paris. He had long dreamed about it and probably already had at least a little, but spoke French.
In his new position, Takada was initially engaged in selling sketches to various fashion houses. He had no diligence to occupy himself, and his bright talent quickly attracted attention. The young designer did not follow the beaten path, but actively developed his style, the originality of which was liked by the spoiled Parisian public. Also, in those years, it gradually increased interest in Japanese culture.
The designer began to hold his shows. And in 1970, a significant event took place – the famous fashion magazine Elle published on the cover a girl dressed in a Kenzo dress. After that, the young designer’s life was transformed, we can say, no matter how banal this phrase sounds, that one morning he woke up famous. His shows were no longer limited to Paris; they began to be held in New York and Tokyo. And everywhere, it was extremely successful.
In the same 1976, the Kenzo brand appeared. Initially, the designer used the brand Jungle Jap, but in the end, he thought that the name is not too successful. To promote the new brand, the founder used various methods, sometimes even extravagant. Fashion shows sometimes turned into real circus performances. Gradually, the range of things to be created expanded, and in 1983 he added clothes for men. And in 1987 appears and the first perfume Kenzo de Kenzo.
Since 1993, the Kenzo brand belongs to the French conglomerate LVMH. Kenzo decided to leave the management of the brand and entirely focus on design. For several decades, he created unique things. In 1999, he presented his latest collection for Kenzo. Subsequently, the designer has produced several other brands, such as Gokan Kobo and Yume, and collaborated with many well-known companies. His creations continued to have a significant impact on the fashion world.
Kenzo spent the last years of his life living and working in France. He died in the commune of Neuilly-sur-Seine, located in the suburbs of Paris. The designer has already changed the 8th decade and probably would have lived a lot more if not for the complications provoked by the coronavirus.
Photo credit: depositphotos.com.
