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By Timothy Hagy
Kenzo Gets Jumpstarted
Kenzo had much riding on the premier collection by its new designer, Antonio Marras, and it's clear that no expense was spared in presenting Monday's show. Excellent staging, fifty different models for each of the fifty pieces, as well as sumptuous program notes set the opulent tone. Together with Givenchy and Lacroix, the under performing LVMH subsidiary has previously been a proverbial thorn in the side of CEO Bernard Arnault. But all that probably began to change today.
"I've always been fascinated by populations that are on the move," wrote Marras, "by streams of constantly migrating gypsies, armies of nomads on horseback from distant lands without borders." True to his word, the collection he showed was a cross-cultural mix, from Native American designs in poncho and quilt layering, to great knits and vibrant prints reminiscent of eastern countries ending in "-istan". Fluidity and legerity was the underlying theme.
From the opening burst of light, the catwalk broke into a prism of ravishing colors. Forest, emerald, and spring greens contrasted with sprinklings of pink floral prints and splashes of tropical canary-yellow. If the Elf-like suits at times looked like they were crossed with Little Red Riding Hood, then that was a forgivable blemish on an otherwise stellar presentation.
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By the time the curtains peeled back for the finale, it was clear that Marras had done what he needed to do. From the reaction of editors and audience alike, Kenzo has just been kick-started, and is likely to come barreling out of a 3-year slump.
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