Kenzo

This French company for the design, manufacture and sale of high-end products has made a name for itself in the world of ready-to-wear and perfumery, positioned halfway between the Asian origins of its founder and our Western universe.

Kenzo Takada, an extraordinary founder

It is to Kenzo Takada, a Japanese man born in 1939, that we owe the Kenzo company. From a very young age, he developed a passion for fashion and even recounts that he often stole his sisters' magazines. Having first opted for a standard course of study at Kobe University, he decided to leave it against his family's wishes to join a fashion school: Tokyo's Bunka Fashion College. He was, moreover, one of the first men to enroll there. Once he obtained his diploma, he settled in Paris in 1964. Although he had trouble adjusting to this new city, he was determined to make a place for himself in the fashion world. To do so, he attended numerous fashion shows, making contacts along the way. He then opened his first boutique in 1970, decorating it with a jungle setting inspired by the works of the Douanier Rousseau. Nevertheless, the brand did not take the name Kenzo until 1980. Indeed, it was during that decade that Kenzo's creations became flagship products. Their unconventional look became the symbol of an entire generation. What is more, the work of photographers Hans Feurer and Peter Lindberg contributed to the creation of Kenzo's identity, a clever blend of modernity, chic and ethnicity. In 1993, Kenzo became part of the LVMH group and was taken over, a few years later, by Gilles Rosier, appointed artistic director of Kenzo while Kenzo Takada, then aged 60, said he wished to enjoy life. Rosier was in turn succeeded, in 2003, by Antonio Marras before being himself replaced by Humberto Leon and Carol Lim in 2011.

Kenzo fragrances

Kenzo's very first fragrance was born in 1988. Intended for men, it featured an intense marine freshness. It immediately appealed to men and was followed by numerous other fragrances. Nevertheless, some of them proved more popular than others, and among the latter, Flower by Kenzo stands as a true legend. It perfectly captures Kenzo's universe, proving particularly modern, dynamic and poetic. Today, more than ever, notably with the creation of the new fragrance Kenzo World, the house presents itself as one of a kind. Its two new artistic directors seem intent on giving it fresh momentum, wilder than ever while still remaining chic and elegant.