Kenzo has found his new art director Nse: Japanese Nigo
A few months after the announcement of Felipe Oliveira Baptista's departure, we know the name of his successor as head of Kenzo's collections: the Japanese Nigo. Known by streetwear fans for his brand A bathing Ape, founded in 1993 and since become cult, he recently collaborated with another LVMH house, Louis Vuitton. In fact, Virgil Abloh, the artistic director of the house's men's collections, had invited him to create with him LV2, a capsule inspired by the mods.
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With the appointment of Nigo, LVMH secured the services of one of the pioneers of streetwear, whose creations marked the 1990s and 2000s. His career is reminiscent of Kenzo Takada's (they also followed the teaching of the same fashion school, the famous Bunka fashion College). In fact, as Takada managed to transform a Parisian shop into a world famous brand, Nigo started his career with a small shop in the Harajuku district of Tokyo. Before becoming one of the figures of the hip-hop style, he dressed in these sweatshirts for several hundred euros the mythical trio of producers the Neptunes, one of whose founders is none other than Pharrell Williams, with whom he launched the Billionaire boys Club and Human made brands. He was also responsible for one of the first collectible shoes, the Baptista, a sort of diverted Nike Air Force 1.
What up, looks like how to appear to have snow power.? ♪ Don't forget to wear a simple necklace with a sophisticated charm ♪
— very knowledgeable Fri Aug 07 01:46:31 +0000 2015
From Swatch to like boys
A true fashion encyclopaedia, he had opened his archives to Virgil Abloh, who had drawn many ideas for their common collection, released last year. The American then confided to the Figaro: "Nigo's work is one of the most important chapters in recent fashion history, and not only in the field of the so-called 'streetwear'. His brand had its roots in the aesthetics of the street and raised it to the rank of luxury, combining the values of luxury houses with the aspirations of younger generations. "it is likely that it was this ability to juggle between the different registers of contemporary fashion that tilted the balance in his favour, even though several names (including those of Yoon Ambush, designer of the jewels of Dior Homme, and Charaf Tajer, creator of Casablanca) were circulating for this position. With him, the house offers itself the ability to attract a new clientele, younger, keen on collaborations. An exercise to which the Japanese designer, based in Tokyo, is more than used to: he has multiplied them during his 30 years of career, with sharp designers (Undercover, like boys), consumer brands (Swatch, Pepsi, Adidas) and well-known artists (Kanye West, KAWS).
This appointment comes less than a year after the death of Kenzo Takada, who died as a result of the Covid-19 last October. Along with Jean Paul Gaultier and Thierry Mugler, he had become one of the most famous designers of the 1980s, plebiscited by French women who liked his easy and colourful dressing room. He had sold his fashion and perfumes company to the LVMH group in 1993, but remained as artistic director until 1999. Two of his former collaborators, Gilles rosier and Roy Krejberg, first took over, before being replaced in 2003 by Antonio Marras. In 2011, the American duo composed of Humberto Leon and Carol Lim, founder of the concept store Opening ceremony, were appointed to head the collections. With them, Kenzo takes on a more commercial dimension, the most famous example of which remains the very popular tiger head sweatshirts, which we have seen invading the streets. After their departure in 2019, the brand apparently wanted to return to a more creative and daring fashion, embodied by Felipe Oliveira Baptista. But after the crisis, the native of the Azores left the house last April.
This change is not the only one for Kenzo, who has also announced the appointment of a new Managing Director, Sylvain Blanc. Through Le Printemps and the Kooples, he was until then managing director of the Undiz underwear brand. He replaces Sylvie Colin, who has been in office since 2017.
