Politics and fashion are undeniably intertwined, and as our current landscape becomes more politically charged so has style.
Take Kenzo’s latest collection at Paris Fashion Week called “La Collection Memento No1″. It was inspired by the tale of one immigrant.
And not just any immigrant: Kenzo Takada. Takada founded the brand in 1970, just two years after he moved from Japan to Paris.
From an aesthetic point of view, it’s a beautiful collection. One of the fashion house’s creative director’s Humberto Leon said to WWD it showed the collision of the two cultures: “We celebrate this idea of Japanese heritage [revisited], but in Paris. There was that parallel he was always looking at in terms of these kimono details, mixed with almost French uniforms and that was always part of his vibe.”
It’s not only Japan and France that has inspired a collection that feels fittingly very global – some of the masks are reminiscent of Pussy Riot.
It’s therefore unsurprising that there was a strong political thread running throughout the show. Against a backdrop of Donald Trump’s executive orders against immigrants and increasingly fractious debates over immigration in Europe, the collection couldn’t have come at a more pertinent time.
The message was really hammered home after the show, when attendees ate food cooked by Syrian refugee chef Mohammed El Khaldy.
Just in case you thought the show couldn’t get any cooler, none other than Lauryn Hill was on hand to finish festivities with a bang.
The show celebrates the power of Takada’s story – he came to Paris and transformed the fashion scene, showing the true benefit of multiculturalism.
In a statement creative directors Leon and Carol Lim described Takada as a trailblazer in the world of fashion: “This spirit of openness is still very much alive. Paris is still Paris.”
Although he formally retired in 1999, Takada was in the audience to watch the collection inspired by his own heritage and life.
