Monday Muse: Kenzo Goes Back to Basics

Kenzo Fall 2015

Kenzo Fall 2015

The transformation at Kenzo is one for the history books. In just a few years, Opening Ceremony’s maestros of retail and design have brought the once sleepy label from near-obscurity to one of the street style set’s most beloved brands. Kenzo’s Paris Fashion Week shows have become one of the season’s hottest tickets, but it’s not just about the pomp and circumstance — the clothes are flying out of stores at a clip that’s almost unbelievable. For Fall 2015, Humberto Leon and Carol Lim went back to the house’s signatures for a collection that paid homage to the roots of the French-cum-Japanese label with modern shapes and covetable pieces.

Kenzo Fall 2015

Kenzo Fall 2015

Coats. While the designing duo might not have the Golden State in mind when they designed the new collection (both of the designers studied at Berkeley), but California is a big influence on the line. The brand’s bags include the Kalifornia Klutch and the Kalifornia Tote, after all. But coats were the biggest takeaway from Kenzo’s newest showing, and even though temps rarely dip below 60, we’re sure California girls will be drooling over the handkerchief-hemmed anoraks, the statement-making bombers and the shearling biker jackets that walked the runway. On a chilly Parisian morning, you could see the front row Instgramming just about every look.

Kenzo wasn’t built on coats, however, even though the future of the line seems pretty cemented in statement-making outerwear. In reality, the house of Kenzo was all about prints. After a few seasons of colorblocking, solids and color play, Leon and Lim were back in a print state of mind, combining everything from paillette feathers and jacquards to stripes and abstract florals.

The colors were bold and bright, but pieces were grounded with blacks and olives, too. Minimalism might have had its moment last year, but more is more at Kenzo, and with fringe, print and paillettes, it seems like the brand is eschewing sleek and clean for bold and brash. It’s working, too, because we’re sure to see the fringed blanket coats and poppy-print dresses on street style blogs in a few months. With more of the show’s attendees watching through their iPhone screens than watching the actual models, you could see just how photo-ready these pieces were.

Images courtesy Style

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Author:Christopher Luu for Fashion Trends Daily

Christopher Luu is a Fashion Trends Daily Senior Writer and Menswear Editor.