A fusion of Eastern and Western influences comes to life in the KENZO Spring-Summer 2024 Women’s and Men’s Collection. Artistic Director Nigo solidifies the Maison’s codes in a new generational elegance. Presented during the recently wrapped up Paris Fashion Week, on the Passerelle Debilly, the footbridge connecting Palais de Tokyo with the Eiffel Tower over the River Seine, this collection bridges the legacy of Kenzo Takada with Nigo’s contemporary vision, invoking the spirit of City Pop.
SPRING SUMMER 2024 COLLECTIONS
This multi-genre soundscape of pop, funk, and boogie, which formed the radio soundtrack of the designer’s youth in 1980s Japan, lightly infuses the proposition with a graphic, preppy, and poppy aesthetic.
Throughout the collection, there is a playful juxtaposition between Japanese and Western wardrobes. The judo uwagi is reimagined as a chore jacket, while the seigaiha, an ancient wave print, is adapted in indigo. Women’s silhouettes embrace an intensified elegance, with lightweight layering of translucent fabrics adorned with revitalized archival motifs.
The collection also engages in a creative dialogue with Japanese graphic artist Verdy, a long-time friend of Nigo. Verdy interprets the KENZO logo in his signature swashed font, boldly emblazoning it across garments and accessories.
City Pop emerged as a vibrant cultural movement in post-war Japan, coinciding with some of the most memorable moments in Kenzo Takada’s career. For Nigo, the recent global reevaluation of this genre by younger generations, disconnected from its original time and culture, serves as a powerful analogy for the relevance of KENZO’s legacy in the contemporary mindset.
The show’s soundtrack, created by Cornelius, a contemporary and occasional collaborator of Nigo since the mid-1990s, reflects their shared appreciation of City Pop, encapsulating the essence of the genre.
