March 2, 2017 |
Last night and another fabulous dinner, this time thanks to Kenzo, who threw open the doors to their HQ and put on a spread by Syrian-born chef Mohammad El Khaldy. God, it’s exhausting being us. And what was our dinnertime entertainment? Fashions of course. Which, after a long day of shows, would usually be the last thing we wanted to see – but this is Kenzo, and what Humberto Leon and Carol Lim do there is always brilliant. So we didn’t mind at all. At this point, it might be relevant to ask – what is this collection? Because, as you know, Kenzo showed their mens and womenswear for AW17 in glorious union at menswear week in January. Well, this was something altogether new. Entitled, La Collection Memento N°1, it is a special capsule that celebrates the brand’s heritage. Because, with a hallowed archive as bulging as Kenzo Takada’s, founder of the house, it would be rude to not have a bit of a rifle around. “By introducing this new series, we will tell the history of the house with a collection where each chapter celebrates its rich archives,” said the duo. “KENZO – La Collection Memento is rooted in pieces that were created during our founders’ journey and welcomes back to life pieces that are truly KENZO.” Which here meant a prevalence of print – floral, mostly – based much on Kenzo’s 1983 campaign, starring a young Iman. Here, those prints were reinterpreted across Humberto and Carol’s knack for a sort of urban uniform – puffas, trenches, sweaters – but with this touch of 1980s romanticism – big puffy sleeves, ruffles and a kaleidoscopic palette. And what could top possibly top all that off? A performance from Lauren Hill. Call us spoiled.
