PARIS (AP) — It was a fashion history-making moment in ParisSunday was a big day for Kenzo as the company unveiled the Debutthe first Japanese designer to be hired by the house since Kenzo Takada was its founder.
Nigo, 51, thus becomes only the second Asian designer at the head of a European high fashion label, alongside Bally’s Filipino-American Rhuigi Villaseñor. As the luxury industry grapples with more questions about racism and diversity, his appointment is a significant milestone.
Galerie Vivienne was the show venue, highlighting the historic significance of the debut collection and revealing parallels between Takada and Nigo. Both are Japanese and both were educated at the same Tokyo fashion college. They are both considered fashion codebreakers because they share an East-meets–West aesthetic vision.
This is where Takada’s first fashion show was held in 1970.
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Nigo’s close friend Pharrell and Ye, formerly known under Kanye West, cheered after the reveal of his vibrant creations in the ancient bookshops.
Here are some highlights from Sunday’s Paris Fashion Week’s fall-winter menswear showcases:
Kenzo’s complete circle
Nigo gained international fame with his streetwear brand A Bathing Ape, which he founded in 1993. These street-smart prints and vibrant colors were still evident many decades later when Nigo was at the helm for one of LVMH’s largest labels Kenzo.
The house stated that both designers had been involved in the creation of this home. “an understanding of the synthesis between Japanese and Western wardrobe traditions.” Nigo is “envisioning it as a tunnel toward the future and beyond the borders of fashion.”
Exaggeratedly large berets are paired with clashing-color silk prints. These include standout loose wool coats in maize and printed silk neck scarves. Checks, tassels and straps were followed by stripes. Even a few preppy sartorial looks were made with loose proportions. One of these looked was reminiscent of the Japanese cross-over style.
Nigo went all out, sending myriad styles and silhouettes — as well as men and women’s designs — down this unusual runway. The unifying theme was shear vibrancy.
Wooyoungmi visits 1920s Moscow
Moscow’s St. Basel’s Cathedral, glittering in its glory, provided the inspiration for Wooyoungmi’s menswear collection on Sunday. It sparkled with jewel tones, including pinks, greens and oranges.
The novel “A Gentleman in Moscow” by Amor Towles was what the South Korean brand said inspired its Russian musing — with references to the ornate city and its famous churches peppering the show.
Scarves with frontal fastenings were the brand’s version of ecclesiastical headswear. Black patent statement boots with a chunky sole were a trendy way to manage Russia’s famous winter snow.
This collection was thoughtfully designed and executed. It featured loose proportions, layers, and sumptuous materials.
What is the best moment? When an unexpected decorated strap — evoking the military — appeared out of a beautiful, tailored minimalist bronze wool coat. It was subtle but it was effective.
Sacai’s boots were made to pose
Chitose abe presented Sacai’s Sacai Show with its gargantuan statement boot made from puffer jacket material.
Original footwear featured hoops with zippers, laces and laces. This set of shoes was fashionable for the fall-winter season.
An artistic collaboration was made with Madsaki, a Japanese-born artist based in New York. The result? Large spray paint prints and embroidery across sweatshirts and jackets.
“Sheeple Zombies and Kool-Aid,”It said that people who follow trends cannot think independently.
This was a great message for a house that is proud of its originality.
Abe was in nostalgic mood too — reworking themes she had introduced in her earliest shows such as lingerie, which was integrated here as bra-cup seams tailored into jackets.
