The great Japanese designer Kenzo Takada dies at 81 years old. The great fashion figure abandoned us due to COVID-19 the last October 4th, and because of that we have wanted to pay tribute to his career and do a short reminder of the legacy that he has left us. Kenzo was one of the major designers that encompasses the 60s  prêt-à-porter fashion. He was the pioneer of the combination of the Oriental and Occidental styles, he stood out by means of the use of colours and prints, as well as the patterns which he employed for the creation of his colours. He came from a fairly humble family and had to manage to have access to the fashion world, a sector that neither accepted homosexuality and nor was opened for male public at that period of time.  He took his studies at Bunka Fashion College (Tokyo) and later he moved to Paris, where he undertook and sold his sketches at the streets.  

The 70s was a huge change for the fashion world: new innovative artists appeared, a varied colour range began to be used for garments, to sum up, it was an era of creation, vitality and emergence. In 1971 Kenzo presented his first collection called “Jungle Jap” which reflected the wild life, had a flashy and goundbreaking colour range and different volumes and flounces. Henri Rousseau -who was a post impressionist painter-, was a great inspiration for him when creating Japanese cards which he used to represent fantasy and freedom of expression. Suddenly, he got in touch with some of the most well known magazines like Vogue as a result of the appearance of one of his models at Elle magazine.

1964

Kenzo moves to Paris to go into the glorious fashion world.

1971

The presentation of Kenzo´s first collection called “Jungle Jap”

1983-88

He created his first male collections for children, home and his brilliant perfume line.

1993

Kenzo is acquired by LVMH, a famous group of luxury products.

1999

Kenzo Takada resigned as creative director of the brand and was succeeded by Gilles Rosier and Royr Krejberg In the 1990s, a hard period began for the designer, after the loss of his three main pilars of support in a short amount of time: his partner Xavier de Castella, his right hand Atsuko Kondo, and, one year later in 1991, his mother. Drowned by the situation, he decided to sell the entire company to the LVMH conglomerate, and years later he abandoned his brand, as he felt that the change that was taking place in society, which was more focused on business, did not fit with him. Kenzo Tajada has left his mark on the fashion world, and as Antonio Marras, Kenzo’s creative director from 2008 to 2011, said: “he came to the fashion world to change it and to prepare the future for the following generations”.

 “ I just wanted to do something different from anything else”, Kenzo Takada.

All credits for Live Journal, W Concept blog, Fashion Network, Marie Claire, Vogue, Food District blog, Phantomag, Flower by Kenzo blog, Trendencias, Europeana, Chic Vintage blog.

ENOLA GÓMEZ