How Kenzo found a preppy, 70s groove at Paris Fashion Week: Nigo’s autumn/winter 2022 menswear collection mixed Scout’s scarves with African vibrancy and Asian crossover styles
Nigo has made history as the first Japanese designer to front the house since Takada, who died in 2020.
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But beyond the fashion, Nigo – who has made high profile collaborations with Pharrell – has real star attraction, once again pulling in top VIPs this season such as Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel.
Set in a college hall and with a pervading 70s, preppy vibe, Nigo channelled the dazzling colours and mix-and-match cultural fusion that became synonymous with the house’s origins.
Rick Owens’ dramatic spring/summer 2023 menswear show at Paris Fashion Week
Hanging from the roof were flags reading “Kenzo 1970”. For students of fashion, a reference not lost: this date was not only the year Takada presented his first fashion show in the Galerie Vivienne in Paris in front of his new shop, Jungle Jap, but it was also the year of Nigo’s birth.
Funky scarves morphed into coloured lapels on suits that riffed on a Scout’s uniform.
A bright yellow patch-loaded waistcoat had an African vibrancy and mixed with Breton striped scarves, nautical themes and Asian crossover styles in jackets, to create a dynamic cultural melting pot.
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But it was the quirkiness and humour that defined spring-summer in this strong show – thick woollen socks on canary yellow flip-flops, crimson flower appliqués and multicoloured bowler hats.
- Jaden Smith, Cruz Beckham, Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel all turned out to the artistic director’s second show for the notoriously kooky, colourful French brand
- As the fashion world wrestles with questions over identity, Nigo remains only the second Asian designer to head a European high fashion label alongside Bally’s Rhuigi Villaseñor