Oh if only Mother Nature had been clement with Kenzo. Always a highlight on the fashion calendar, invitees can count on the house to come up with clever show concepts in cool unexpected locations. This time that just happened to be outside along the river seine.
Leaving the rain soaked @kenzo ss15 menswear show shown along the river seine. pic.twitter.com/DUyLM5RYfu
— Jessica Michault (@JessicaMichault) June 28, 2014
Then about thirty minutes before the show's start time the heavens opened and the rain began to fall. Up until the moment the show began the dogged staff was mopping droplets off the sunshine bright Kenzo catwalk. It was unfortunate as well that all the open umbrellas also blocked the arrival of the entire collection as it crossed the Pont Alexandre III. The Eiffel Tower making for a dramatic backdrop to the bright polka dot and broad stripped ensemble.
This season designers Carol Lim and Humberto Leon smartly returned to the light hearted style that went missing last time out. Looking around at all the Kenzo items being worn in the audience, it was clear that its those fun loving pieces that are resonating with customers.
For Spring/Summer 2015 the duo was inspired by the French Man himself. They came up with a collection filled with voluminous A-line parkas (perfect for mopeds). Pants with zipper accents that -when closed- became smart options for Velib biking in Paris. And dramatic asymmetrically stripped tank tops, blazers, and jacket that adroitly twisted the Breton stripe.
Other delightful frenchifications included a group of sporty garments in pastel shades reminiscent of Ladurée macaroons. Then there were the holographic souvenir patches, embellishing the polka dots looks, that shifted between images of the Eiffel Tower and the Statue of Liberty. And some tops featuring the face of Cosette from the Les Miserables (The Andrew Lloyd Webber version) or a close up of Lady Liberty's face will sell just as well with women as it should with men. As will almost every other item in this cheerful collection.
Fun fact: there is a mini me version of the Statue of Liberty in Paris, seeing as France gifted the statue to the United States. So it's as much a symbol of Paris as it is of New York. That the designers were able to hone in on this truth underlines how the brand is able to speak to customers around the globe. They are extremely talented at finding common threads and pulling them together into winning fashion shows.
