In the shadow of the Eiffel Tower, NIGO presented perhaps his most sober KENZO collection to date. KENZO Spring/Summer 2024 presents a plethora of fairly classic shapes that get NIGO-fied here and there, reflective of the Japonisme undercurrent that's been present in every contemporary KENZO collection.
Held on the Passerelle Debilly bridge, not too far from the Pont Neuf where NIGO's pal Pharrell debuted his first Louis Vuitton collection, NIGO's SS24 KENZO show was buffeted by the breeze, billowing out floral dresses and pleated slacks as grimacing models clutched their enormous straw hats closer to their heads.
Pharrell was in attendance, of course. He hasn't missed a KENZO show since NIGO arrived at the house.
And, like all of those other KENZO runways, KENZO SS24 was packed with NIGO tropes. That ain't a complaint: NIGO knows his way around marketable, approachable clothes.
Like I said, the theme was "classic" (actually, according to a press release, the theme was "City Pop," the bouncy sub-genre of '80s-era Japanese pop that's trended across YouTube for a couple years now).
In this collection, we're talking the timeless French wardrobe — trench coats, collard shirts, summer-length gowns, and casual suits — slightly tweaked by NIGO's sensibilities.
Floral prints, a motif present since NIGO's first KENZO collection mingled with larger-than-life "KENZO PARIS" prints, manifested as oversized red text or an all-over pattern realized in staggered diagonal lines.
NIGO isn't just a graphics guy, though, he's also Mr. Denim: NIGO's favorite textile was represented by deep indigo work jackets and loads of faded denim layers, with cargo shorts to match.
Yep, shin-length cargo shorts are in and you can wear them with KENZO's new basketball sneakers. Cue the nu-metal.
NIGO's fascination with Japonisme — the French by way of Japan attitude epitomized by house founder Kenzo Takada — led to more of his signature kimono-closure jackets, this time in a weighty gi-style canvas, and billowing hakama trousers.
The most impressive element of NIGO's KENZO is its seamless union of these statement bits with the timeless stuff. Like Takada, NIGO is obsessed with graphic flair and draping elegance, but it all circles back to imminently wearable clothes.
These are the classics, the KENZO way.
