Fresh off a successful store opening in Dubai, we had the chance to sit down with Rémi Le Hong, Chief Marketing Officer at Kenzo to talk about the Japan meets Paris brand that has been revolutionizing the fashion industry since the early 1970s - not because of its knack for working within the system, but because of its ability to break free from the status quo and carve out its own path.
Growing up in France during the 1980s, as Kenzo was on its rise to prominence, Le Hong remembers brand awareness being incredibly high. Quickly getting to the point where, even if you weren’t into fashion you knew Kenzo. Struck first by the suiting and dresses, Le Hong continued keeping tabs on the brand's evolution throughout the years. And it all started with Kenzo Takada.
“If you pay attention to his story, it's a beautiful movie. Growing up in Japan, going on a long trip around the world where he stopped in different cities, Hong Kong and India, and Africa. Discovering so many inspirations along the way, seeing cultures, seeing how people dressed in other countries. Taking all these influences when he arrived in Paris with basically nothing, starting from scratch in a small gallery next to our HQ now, and creating an empire of a brand that is among the key players now.”
Not to mention, although he was a sponge when it came to absorbing diverse design inspirations and creating original concepts, because of a tight budget, Takada had to get creative when it came to sourcing textiles to use. This meant sourcing discount fabrics from flea markets and employing patchworking construction to extend the life of materials, two elements that would become signature details.
“In the end, what was a challenge became actually a strength and part of the style. So I love the resilience and creativity." - Rémi Le Hong
After nearly a decade heading up Marketing & Comms for Maison Kitsune, Le Hong joined Kenzo with a strong understanding of the core tenants of the brand in addition to it's potential to grow. As CMO, communication, collaboration, and the ability to convert ideas would be key. Especially when he learned who else was getting onboarded.
“When I joined, well, I arrived a few weeks before Nigo, so I knew I was about to be a part of a new chapter. After meeting with Nigo and understanding his approach to Kenzo and what it represented to him personally, I could sense the richness of everything we would do, and the storytelling and storyline was super clear. And my role in that was to translate that in the best way possible." - Rémi Le Hong
This of course starts with the name and tagline. "Kenzo Paris" represents Japan and Paris and the phrase “East Meets West” further spells it out if there was any confusion. Even still, when it came to cementing a brand image, there was still one piece of the puzzle to set the tone: location. This is why 2023, especially FW23 was instrumental in emphasizing the new direction.
Set in Osaka and Kyoto as an homage to Kenzo and Nigo, the Eastern influence and context pf FW23 provided the perfect re-introduction to the brand from its roots. Naturally, it also became a springboard for SS24.
Shot in Paris at several historical locations including the Arc de Triomphe and the Place des Victoires, the move to capture the Spring-Summer collection amongst important landmarks argues for the significance of the brand in Parisian culture alongside the architectural icons, a symbol just as impressive... just with more leopard print.
On the subject of references and symbolism, we wanted to dig into the DIY motif at the center of SS24 - the boke flower. With a long history of using natural symbols throughout collections, from trees to the signature tiger, the brand was clearly poised to carry on the tradition.
“The best symbol for Kenzo was a flower. And actually, it came with this design, the boke flower, which is super symbolic of Nigo's own style. So it's been created as a sort of crest with that design - actually the first coach jacket that Nigo was wearing for the first show in January 2022, a blue coach jacket, in the back was this big flower." - Rémi Le Hong
How’s that for a breadcrumb trail?
But beyond the floral motif, successfully merging Eastern and Western culture into a cohesive identity is where SS24 really shines. An accomplishment achieved through subtle additions - and omissions that any admirer of textiles throughout the decades will appreciate.
For instance, the Kimono and Judo Jackets are derived from traditional Japanese garments but feature a contemporary workwear sensibility making them easy to reach for, no matter the occasion. On the flip side, French and even American inspirations like military fatigues, cowboy garb, and railroad textiles are given elegant makeovers with the Western Shirt and Army Pants, making them fit for a red carpet as opposed to just cleaning one.
“I think throughout the collection there are so many details because Nigo’s inspiration is very, western culture and pop culture driven. He's a man of details. He knows precisely why ‘this should be like this’ and he can actually reference his own archive." - Rémi Le Hong
And that is just another reason why relating Kenzo to one geographic location or culture is a fools errand, distracting.
“It feels that we belong here in Paris, but we also belong to many other places. And that's what we're trying to bring together." - Rémi Le Hong
