Kenzo Takada was born in Japan and moved to Paris in 1964 to start his fashion career. He then became known for using Asian and Japanese influenced style with the construction of European fashion. He started out with a 'Jungle Jap' boutique located at Galerie Vivienne and decorated in jungle inspired decor. He began with handmade women's clothing; reportedly, he made his first collection with $200 worth of fabrics bought at a large discount house in Montmartre. The brand became Kenzo after a fashion show in New York in 1976, as the American market considered 'Jungle Jap' too pejorative. In 1983, Kenzo started designing men and then kids and home collections in 1987, followed by fragrances in 1988. In 1993, luxury-products maker LVMH acquired Kenzo from SEBP and Financière Truffaut for about $80 million. From 1995, Kenzo also produced Kenzo Studio, a line was produced through a licensing agreement with the Bonaventure Group. While Kenzo developed the line’s fashion direction, Studio was sold only in the U.S. and Kenzo retail stores in China. In October 1999, Kenzo Takada resigned as the brand's creative director. From 1999 until 2003, Gilles Rosier and Roy Krejberg designed the women's and men's lines, respectively. From 2006 until 2008, over 100 of Kenzo's stores worldwide were refurbished. From 2008 until 2011, Antonio Marras served as Kenzo's creative director, overseeing the brand in its entirety. By 2011, Kenzo barely broke even, with annual sales estimated at about 150 million euros. By 2017, Kenzo built the accessories and shoe business to almost 30 percent of revenues. In 2019, Kenzo ended its distribution agreement with I.T to take back control of its 35 stores in China via a joint venture with the same partner. On June 25, 2020, Kenzo unveiled its first American flagship store in SoHo, Manhattan.
In 2012, designers Humberto Leon and Carol Lim unveiled a knitted sweater with a tiger graphic on it for Kenzo's Fall 2012 collection. Leon wanted to make a sweatshirt version of the sweater for him to wear. Despite initial resistance from Kenzo's design team, the tiger sweatshirts became extremely popular, with the initial run of sweatshirts selling out within hours at Kenzo's Paris location. Since 2011, the tiger shirt and clothing designed by Leon and Lim has been worn by celebrities and fashion bloggers including Jay Z, Kevin Hart, Beyoncé, Zooey Deschanel, Swizz Beatz, Selena Gomez, Spike Jonze, Joan Smalls, Lorde, and Rihanna. For the Fall 2014 collection, Kenzo collaborated with filmmaker David Lynch, who mixed the soundtrack for the show and provided a large sculpture. For the Fall and Winter 2016 collection, Kenzo produced the campaign film The Realest Real starring Laura Harrier, Mahershala Ali, Natasha Lyonne, and Rowan Blanchard, and directed by Carrie Brownstein.
Collaborations
In 2016, Kenzo announced its collaboration with H&M. Kenzo X H&M collection was released on 3 November 2016. The fashion house also collaborates with Inglot Cosmetics company, which manufactures make-up products. On 21 March 2018 Kenzo revealed Britney Spears as the face of its new 'La Collection Memento No. 2' campaign. The collaboration, marketed as #KenzoLovesBritney, features a variety of ready-to-wear nostalgic denim pieces for men and women.
