PARIS (AP) — Few Paris addresses conjure fable fairly like Maxim’s, the gilded Belle Époque hang-out the place artists and aristocrats as soon as jostled for a seat at dinner, and a spot immortalized in Cole Porter’s lyrics and traditional Hollywood movies because the very image of Parisian stylish. On Friday night time, at Paris Style Week the famend restaurant-turned-nightclub grew to become the unbelievable stage for Kenzo’s newest co-ed present — a riot of pop shade, superstar and cultural collision served tableside.
Friends perched round white tablecloths as Nigo, the primary Japanese designer to helm Kenzo because the late, nice Kenzo Takada, got down to show the home can nonetheless shock. What unfolded was a knowingly playful mash-up of preppy classics and off-kilter eveningwear: eye-popping pink clothes loosely gathered and knotted, every one tossed with a Left Financial institution silk scarf; a slinky tuxedo jacket paired with a blaring urban-printed tee in wild shade, topped with a cartoon bunny in intentional conflict. Assume cocktail hour by the use of Shibuya road type.
Tongue-in-cheek references ran rampant — a circus grasp’s striped waistcoat right here, sheeny tiger-motif pants there, all nodding to Kenzo’s signature mixture of excessive craft and subcultural wink. If the aim was to recapture the home’s historic sense of enjoyable, Nigo went all in.
Whereas the creativity on show was simple, the sheer abundance of concepts typically made it arduous for a single imaginative and prescient to shine via. With so many daring references and layers echoing latest seasons’ spirit of collaboration and eclecticism, the gathering typically felt extra like a vigorous collage than a targeted assertion. Nonetheless, there have been moments the place the craftsmanship and playful equipment really stood out, providing glimpses of the distinct Kenzo spirit that Nigo has made his personal.
Since becoming a member of Kenzo, Nigo has introduced a recent spirit of collaboration and cross-cultural change, most visibly in his headline-grabbing work with Pharrell Williams at Louis Vuitton and his frequent partnerships with artists from throughout the globe. That outward-looking vitality has helped pull Kenzo again into the pop-culture dialog, mixing the home’s playful legacy with new momentum. As a part of the LVMH steady, Kenzo now enjoys the attain and sources of the world’s largest luxurious group, giving Nigo freedom to experiment, push boundaries and reawaken the model’s irreverent roots.
It was an evening that nodded to each previous and future. After a string of worn years below the earlier design duo, Kenzo appears decided to shake off previous mud and reclaim its seat at Paris’ most storied desk. The present at Maxim’s — equal elements style circus and cultural reminiscence — was a reminder that Paris type is greatest served with a wink, a conflict and greater than a bit mischief.
