Kenzo S.A. (stylized as KENZO PARIS) is a French luxury fashion house founded in 1970 by Japanese designer Kenzo Takada and owned by parent company LVMH.[3]
Kenzo Takada was born in Japan and moved to Paris in 1964 to start his fashion career.[4] He then became known for using Asian influenced style with the construction of European fashion. He started with a 'Jungle Jap' boutique located at Galerie Vivienne and decorated in jungle inspired interior. He began with handmade women's clothing; reportedly, he made his first collection with $200 worth of fabrics bought at a large discount house in Montmartre.[5] The brand became Kenzo after a fashion show in New York in 1976, as the American market considered 'Jungle Jap' too pejorative.[6]
In 1983, Kenzo started designing men and then kids and home collections in 1987, followed by fragrances in 1988.[6]
In 1990, following the death of his life partner, Xavier, and a stroke suffered by his business partner, Takada decided to sell the company.[7]
In 1993, luxury-products maker LVMH acquired Kenzo from SEBP and Financière Truffaut for about $80 million.[8] From 1995, Kenzo also produced Kenzo Studio, a line was produced through a licensing agreement with the Bonaventure Group. While Kenzo developed the line's fashion direction, Studio was sold only in the U.S. and Kenzo retail stores in China.[9]
Kenzo Takada stayed at the label for a few years and retired from fashion in 1999 at the age of 60.[7]
From 1999 until 2003, Gilles Rosier and Roy Krejberg designed the women's and men's lines, respectively.[10]
From 2006 until 2008, over 100 of Kenzo's stores worldwide were refurbished.[11]
From 2008 until 2011, Antonio Marras served as Kenzo's creative director, overseeing the brand in its entirety.[11][12] By 2011, Kenzo barely broke even, with annual sales estimated at 150 million euros ($197.4 million).[13][14]
In 2011, Carole Lim and Humberto Leon of Opening Ceremony were appointed co-creative directors.[15] The pair was credited with revitalizing the Kenzo brand and making it appeal to a younger customer, as well as re-defining and expanding the role of a fashion creative director to encompass all elements of creative work at a brand, not just designing the garments.[16]
By 2017, Kenzo built the accessories and shoe business to almost 30 percent of revenues.[17] Lim and Leon exited Kenzo in 2019.[18] Also in 2019, Kenzo ended its distribution agreement with I.T to take back control of its 35 stores in China via a joint venture with the same partner.[19]
Under the creative direction of Felipe Oliveira Baptista from 2019 to 2021, Kenzo launched a line of men's and women's sportswear, titled Kenzo Sport.[20] In April 2021, Kenzo said it would part ways with Oliveira Baptista by the end of his term in June.[21]
In September 2021, Kenzo appointed Nigo of A Bathing Ape as their new artistic director.[22][23][24]
From 2010 to 2018, Kenzo worked with French manufacturer L'Amy on the production and distribution of its eyewear collections.[25]
Kenzo has expanded rapidly in the time since its first American store has opened, as of June 2021 it now operates 6 locations in the US:
- Wynn Las Vegas-3131 Las Vegas Blvd
- New York City The Shops & Restaurants at Hudson Yards-20 Hudson Yards
- SoHo, Manhattan-107 Grand Street
- Beverly Center-8500 Beverly Blvd
- Cabazon-48400 Seminole Dr
- Woodbury Commons (New York) [26][27]
In the early 2000s, Kenzo pulled out of the American market, closing its flagship stores in Los Angeles (2002) and New York (2003).[28] In June 2020, the brand unveiled a new American flagship store in SoHo, Manhattan.[29][30]
Additionally it has nearly 145 stores worldwide primarily concentrated in Southeast Asia, Japan and Europe.[27]
The character Kenzo Harper in the BBC sitcom My Family is named after the fashion brand. In 2012, designers Humberto Leon and Carol Lim unveiled a knitted sweater with a tiger graphic on it for Kenzo's Fall 2012 collection.[31][32] Leon wanted to make a sweatshirt version of the sweater for him to wear.[33][34] Despite initial resistance from Kenzo's design team,[35][36] the tiger sweatshirts became extremely popular, with the initial run of sweatshirts selling out within hours at Kenzo's Paris location.[35] Since 2011, the tiger shirt and clothing designed by Leon and Lim[37][38] has been worn by celebrities and fashion bloggers including Jay Z, Kevin Hart, Beyoncé, Zooey Deschanel, Swizz Beatz, Selena Gomez, Spike Jonze, Joan Smalls, Lorde, NorthernSound and Rihanna.[citation needed]
In 2016, Kenzo announced its collaboration with H&M. Kenzo X H&M collection was released on November 3, 2016.[39] The fashion house also collaborates with Inglot Cosmetics company, which manufactures make-up products.[40] On March 21, 2018, Kenzo revealed Britney Spears as the face of its new 'La Collection Memento No. 2' campaign.[41] The collaboration, marketed as #KenzoLovesBritney, features a variety of ready-to-wear nostalgic denim pieces for men and women.[42]
Kenzo has been working with several high-profile photographers for its advertisement campaigns, including Jean-Baptiste Mondino (1996-1999),[43] David LaChapelle (2019),[44] Keizō Kitajima (2024)[45] and Bruce Gilden (2025).[46]
For the Fall 2014 collection, Kenzo collaborated with filmmaker David Lynch, who mixed the soundtrack for the show and provided a large sculpture.[47]
For the Fall and Winter 2016 collection, Kenzo produced the campaign film The Realest Real starring Laura Harrier, Mahershala Ali, Natasha Lyonne, and Rowan Blanchard, and directed by Carrie Brownstein.[48][49] Also in 2016, Sean Baker (The Florida Project, Red Rocket) directed a short film starring model Abbey Lee called Snowbird for Kenzo SS16.[50]
In 2023, Kenzo selected Vernon of South Korean boy band Seventeen as the brand's first global ambassador.[51]
- Kenzo Takada, 1970-2020[3]
- Gilles Rosier, 2000-2004[3]
- Antonio Marras, 2004-2011[3]
- Humberto Leon and Carol Lim, 2012-2019[3]
- Felipe Oliveira Baptista, 2019-2021[52][3]
- Nigo, 2021-present[22]
- Official site
Hoặc