A Jungle Escape at Kenzo La Collection Memento Fall/Winter 2018
As the name suggests, Kenzo's Memento collections serve as a way for creative directors Carol Lim and Humberto Leon to rediscover the history of the brand, which has been around for almost half a century now. For the third installment, the designers wove the label's heritage through a particular painting: "The Dream" by Henri Rousseau.
It was this masterpiece by the French post-impressionist painter that had captured founder Kenzo Takada's attention upon his first visit to the Louvre in Paris. The painting, which depicts a nude woman lying on a sofa amidst a jungle, later went on to provide the backdrop for Kenzo's very first store in Japan in 1970.
Fast forward to 2018. "The Dream" has now been recreated as tapestry jacquards upon the tops, dresses and shearling coats of Kenzo's Fall/Winter 2018 collection. Ruffle dresses and skirts were adorned with rich patterns of Rousseau's flowers, while knit sweaters framed the nude woman and a pair of tigers — the central characters of the painting.
"I still remember the first time I saw 'The Dream' by Henri Rousseau. It was love at first sight. Specifically, 'The Dream' and the jungle, I was overwhelmed with emotion." - Kenzo Takada
The collection also threwback to another treasure found in Kenzo's archives: striped scarves. This season, they were transformed into knitted skirts and tops in yellows, blues, reds and greens.
Accessories, too, were equally, colourful; calfskin backpacks and bum bags featuring shearling trims and tapestry jacquards blended perfectly amongst Kenzo's jungle of knits.
