Kenzo Takada / "Kenzo"

Home

Fashion brands

Kenzo

It was one of with whom in Europe the fashion on all Japanese has begun. It was the first, cancelled tucks, narrow sleeves, "lightning" fasteners-. It was the first, offered to Europe sleeves-kimonos, stuffed drawings, bright flowers on skirts. Europe was delighted from Kenzo!

Takada was born on February, 27th, 1939 in province Hiogo, in a small village at bottom of ancient lock Himeji. Kenzo was last, fifth child in a family of the owner of a tea small house. Most of all he liked to examine fashionable magazines of sisters and to draw suits for paper dolls. However dream Kenzo to enter well-known «Bunka Gakuen» where prepared fashion designers, was more than is illusive: to boys the road there has been closed. And parents Kenzo have resolutely opposed its choice, having promised support only in case he will enter the university.

buy blog reviews

promajavshis the semestre at faculty of the English literature, Kenzo has thrown study and, in down and ashes, having quarrelled with parents, has for ever left a native city. Out-of-pocket, without communications, but knowing well that wants, it has directed in Tokyo where has first of all found job and has arrived on correspondence design courses. It was necessary to the rebellious son is unsweetened. For 7 dollars a month it earned additionally in a workshop of one artist - soaps to it brushes and grounded canvases. It somehow sufficed to pay correspondence courses of design of clothes. However, at all did not suffice, that is.

But, when to it it was executed 19, at it was already enough experience to enter design school, and bravery suffices to shut eyes to that fact, that at this school girls studied only. In three years of training of the count of diary Kenzo where he wrote down the achievements, has replenished with two new points. Point the first: «Has received the annual award of design school Soen. Och. Prestigiously». Point of the second: « I create on 40 models in a year for a network of lady's wear Sanai. Och. It is happy with itself ». So he wrote, sitting in the evenings on the gone to pieces bed in an old small house on suburb Tokyo which has got for pennies. And at night dreamt of Paris. It seemed to it, he knows, that in this city there lives its muse. It seemed to it, they necessarily will meet there. It seemed to it, what as soon as they will meet, he will create such dresses what were not created yet by anybody, and all world will understand at once, what on light there was a new genius, and will forget old, magnificent crinolines, and will start to put on in a new fashion … Here only how there to reach, to this Paris?

Hardly later good luck has smiled to it - Kenzo "has suddenly grown rich". The city authorities have made the decision on a reorganisation of quarter where there was a house of the young designer. A building have taken down, and Kenzo has received indemnification - 350 thousand yens. Instead of at once buying the house, Kenzo has decided to spend money for a trip to a city of the dream - Paris. And at all to look at a cathedral of the Parisian Mother of god, and for the sake of glory and the international recognition.

On January, 1st, 1965 it has arrived to Marseilles and has got on a train, which went to Paris. He did not speak in French, it did not have neither jobs, nor money. When it has reached Paris has found out, that, first, there smells as lilies of the valley and croissants and, secondly, that the meeting with a muse is postponed for uncertain term. And after all for long days of swimming he has had time to create essentially new hundred twenty and absolutely amazing models, five marvellous collections and even to spend three displays. As it it has done all, that is natural, mentally, all displays, clear business, have passed on hurrah.

But behind a corner of the Lyons station in Paris it was waited by failure. The city of its dream did not wish to notice the beginning Japanese designer whom even to speak in French plainly was not able. Huddling in a close room on Klishi where at all there were no conveniences, Kenzo tried to comprehend all laws and subtleties of the world of a fashion. He regularly visits all major displays - Kardena, Diora, Chanel - and all plunges into depression abyss more deeply. Haute couture - the inaccessible purpose, the parallel Universe, the ideal clothes far from a real life. Kenzo has understood, that if will go traditional by will achieve nothing. Decades will be necessary to be made even to grandiose names. Something was necessary new that blase Paris yet did not try. In breaks between displays he spent time in search of the muse.

He searched for it, wandering on the Parisian small streets, searched, travelling on the Parisian flea markets, searched, sitting per open cafes with a glass of water and a coffee cup (on bolshee means yet did not suffice) and examining passers-by … Passers-by have been dressed by hours fine, passers-by have been dressed awfully, passers-by, in a word, have been dressed who in what is ready, and worst of all there was that he resolutely did not know that to them to offer. It could not suggest to become them even more elegant is has already made Chanel. He did not wish to make their even more magnificent is it offered Sen-Loran. He wanted … it did not know, that he wanted. He was 30 years old, and it knew well, that just about becomes very well-known, here only it was not clear yet, when and as. He did not know it until has recollected, that saw in the life something that did not see metres haute couture - the Japanese gardens of colours.

Hardly later on flea market Kenzo meets the owner of a boutique in Gallery Vivienne Lui Fero. Kenzo shows it last sketches. Fero at once has understood, with whom deals, and, having bought heels from the brought jobs, recommended the surprising Japanese to editor Elle. It was good luck.

Having met representatives of the press, Kenzo has understood, what exactly journalists will help it to understand a conjuncture of the French fashion and will reduce with the necessary people. Opinion, that Kenzo - hardly probable not the first in history pret-and-port the character "untwisted" by means of PR-technology, is not deprived the bases: friends-journalists tried with might and main, advancing it on a proscenium of the Parisian beau monde. It involved people not only the talent, but also exotic appearance, ability to be on friendly terms and like associates. It was the visitor on all defile, has got communications among the guru of the European fashion and between times palmed off on them the sketches. Eventually owners of known boutiques and fashionable magazines began to hunt for it.

The youth fashion has brought to it fast success. Its models already then were distinguished by an inimitable mix of colours and drawings. The cage, a strip, flower and "animal" drawings mixed up in the most improbable combinations, leaving impression of cheerfulness and «pleasures from a vacation». Itself Kenzo defined the style as «destruction Haute Couture», combining Far East and other ethnic influences with the Parisian glamour.

In five years after arrival to Paris Kenzo together with Atsuko Kondo, old sokursnitsej on college, opens the most charming boutique of Paris of those years - «Jungle Dzhep» (Jungle Jap) - in the Big Parkways, in the distance from «a gold triangle» and the salons of masters of haute couture located there.

Soon Kenzo declared the first show which has taken place on April, 14th, 1970. On first display Kenzo Takady 50 persons have come. They have seen strange bright clothes - generally the kimonos sewed from the Japanese cotton fabrics. First the people in a hall laughed. They yet did not suspect, who will laugh the last.

In 70th years when the clothes fitting a figure dominated, with narrow sleeves and shoulders, it was new. «The body needs space, - the fashion designer spoke. - both in physical, and in spiritual sense». Kenzo starts to enter a fashion on volume things therefore as any Japanese genetically does not understand the clothes fitting and underlining a figure. In such things Japanese "choke". The volume clothes were rather revolutionary. But, as well as any revolution, this had historical preconditions. Tired with shine glamura, Europe could not any more and did not wish to underline a waist and hips. It would be desirable to clean own body from a general review.

It became a push to distribution of hearings about the small little shop up to the top hammered by bright clothes, hearings have instantly flown about all Paris.

However the present popularity has come to Kenzo only after 1976 when it has registered own label and has created the whole direction in the European fashion - «destructive kutjur». Further all developed on the accruing. Kenzo has opened magnificent shop in the centre Paris, on pljas Viktuar. This boutique on area Viktuar immediately becomes the most fashionable place in Paris. For 70 follow 80 when the world goes mad of everything, that is connected with a fashion when the most impudent imaginations of designers are embodied, Kenzo becomes one of the first fashion designers who have transformed displays of clothes in enchanting shows: «I like fun, and Paris those years especially to it had».

Tuniki Mao, dresses infant from pictures Velaskesa, a dress with trousers from Vietnam, a uniform of royal guardsmen, magnificent Czech skirts - all it became an integral part of so-called style of "rich hippies» which has successfully sustained minimalism attacks, grandzha and «the new classics». Grey - in the winter, dark blue - in the spring, a lace - in the evening, a handbag in colour of the shoes, no more than three colours in a suit - where these rules have got to? Ask at Kenzo Takady. And he will respond: «Trees green, all trees green, we saw so much green trees that have forgotten: trees happen pink too but if all trees were pink, I would show you a green tree».

In 1983 Kenzo has created the first man's collection; has started Kenzo Jeans, Kenzo Junior, Kenzo Bed Linen, Kenzo Enfant, Kenzo Bebe, Kenzo City. In 1987 there was a first female aroma from Kenzo - Kenzo de Kenzo. It, certainly, flower aroma, and on a bottle - a bud of a nonexistent flower, not that a dogrose, not that a peony, not that plant from fantastic jungle. There was a whole bouquet of flower aromas Kenzo later: L’Eau par Kenzo, Kenzo Jungle, Flower by Kenzo - and everyone was miracle that is why became sensation.

And so to 1990, become rotary in its destiny. Then closest friend Kenzo, Ksave de Kastella has died. At Kenzo hands have fallen, and he was visited for the first time by thought on leaving a fashion. Tensely working, he tried to overcome the despondency which has seized it, however in 1993 it has not sustained and has surrendered, having agreed on concern LVMH offer to sell the trade mark. So collection LVHM to which posesses such logos, as "Dior", "ZHivanshi", "Christian Lakrua", has replenished with one more exhibit - a label "Kenzo". Thanks to this event now Kenzo presumes luxury to be engaged to itself in easier creativity, not penetrating in business. House Kenzo - the whole empire, bringing to its founder almost 200 million dollars a year. And in October, 1999 in Paris Kenzo has summed up: it has shown last collection pret-a-porter spring - summer 2000, and then impressing retrospective show of three decades of creativity.

Then the designer leaves the House. As he confirms, at all suddenly and is exact not for ever. The master himself has appointed successors is 38-year-old Frenchman Zhil Roze who is engaged in lady's wear in House Kenzo, and its coeval the Dane Plenty Krejberg responsible for a man's line. «They have well experienced spirit of the stamp. And I would like, that, respecting this spirit, they have added something new that style evolved».

Farewell evening of the Japanese fashion designer passed in a hall calculated on three thousand of places, and was the present triumph. Kings world feshn in the first row sat: Sleepyhead Rikel and Terri Mjugler, Issej Mijake and Joshi JAmamoto, JUber ZHivanshi and Azzetdin Alajja. Kenzo not only it was excused with a fashion, but also celebrated the 30 anniversary of the creativity. Among eight hundred models there were the women who have become by friends of the fashion designer. On a podium even there was a 80-year-old journalist who has in the mid-sixties written the first article about nobody the known beginning designer.

Today Kenzo conducts a life of the usual French pensioner. Three times a week goes in for sports and contrary to assurances, that its present does not interest at all, begins day with the daily newspaper «Asahi simbun». Its house in the street the Bastiles, standing in the middle of a cherry garden, impresses with scales and furniture. The area in one thousand square metres, it is up to the top hammered by works of art of all times and the people. Who knows, can, if Kenzo in due time has not risked, would live now in the modest Japanese house in cost of 350 thousand yens and continued to draw clothes for paper dolls.