Nigo delved into both his own archive and Kenzo’s from the era when City Pop emerged, examining how those same garments and styles have been reinterpreted since then to shape his Spring 2024 collection.
After taking the helm at Kenzo, Nigo initially wanted to steer clear of collaborations to establish his own mandate. However, it’s hard to resist expectations, so tonight his Spring 2024 collection for men and women showcased the work of his close friend, Japanese graphic artist Verdy (who was also recently announced as Blackpink’s latest artistic director).
Despite Nigo’s evident talent for co-creation, up until tonight, the only collaboration the designer had explored during his time at Kenzo was with the house’s founder, or rather, with its archive.
One thing that has piqued Nigo’s interest lately is the fact that City Pop, the Japanese pop music movement that emerged in the ’70s and reached its peak in the ’80s, has recently regained global popularity. This tension between the authentically Japanese and its Western reinterpretations is something Nigo skillfully handles in his work. This was showcased in this collection as he revisited the clothing of the time when he first experienced the music within the context of a now-global brand.
This translated into tailoring, which remains his most compelling effort at Kenzo, combining elements of Japanese tailoring with details and proportions from that era. A standout piece was a pair of tailored shorts with wide pleats hybridized with a hakama and a double-breasted kimono-style striped jacket.
Verdy contributed a reimagined “Kenzo Paris” logo, which was placed on the back of jackets and ingeniously used as binding tape on some tailored pieces. Elsewhere, a reinterpretation of Kenzo’s archive rose print placed on pastel-toned summer fabrics offered lightness to the line.
Denim remains a strength for Nigo, as does his cool and effortless masculine style, but this collection offered a clearer vision in the realm of women’s fashion, with semi-transparent fabrics and decidedly sexy short dresses, although the direction still seems unresolved.
-380x380.webp)
-380x380.webp)
