Celebrity Life

The pandemic has claimed yet another high-profile name.

Japan's most famous fashion designer Kenzo Takada, founder of the global Kenzo brand, died in Paris on Sunday aged 81 after contracting Covid-19, his spokesman said.

Takada, the first Japanese designer to decamp to Paris and known especially for his signature floral prints, died in the American Hospital of Paris, the spokesman said in a statement.

His death comes 50 years after he launched his first collection in the French capital which he adopted as his home. "Every wall, every sky and every passer-by helps me build my collections," he once said of the city.

[caption id="attachment_210911" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Kenzo Takada died from Covid-19 complications yesterday. (Image: Geoffroy Van der Hasselt/ AFP)[/caption]

He retired from fashion in 1999, six years after selling his eponymous fashion brand to luxury conglomerate LVMH, and dedicated his time to one-off projects, including a design collection at the start of this year.

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Dreamed of Paris

Born in 1939 into a family of hoteliers, he chose to study art not catering, becoming a star pupil at Toyko's Bunka Gakuen college, where he carried off the top prize. He went on to work for Sanai, a major chain of fashion shops, but dreamed of Paris.

The 1964 Olympic Games finally gave him his opportunity to come to Europe. The block of flats in which he was renting an apartment was to be demolished to make way for a stadium. Like all the tenants, he was paid compensation and decided to blow the money on a one-way ticket on a cargo boat to Marseille.

[caption id="attachment_210913" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Kenzo Takada posing during a photo session in his home in Paris last year. (Image: Joel Saget/ AFP)[/caption]

Arriving in Paris in the winter of 1965, hardly speaking any French, the only job he could get was in a poodle parlour. In 1970, however, he took the lease of premises in the Galerie Vivienne, then a rather down-at-heel shopping arcade. "With a few friends for three months we painted the walls with jungle scenes like Le Douanier Rousseau's Snake Charmer and baptised it Jungle Jap," he recalled later.

His first show using amateur models to save money was held there. One of the only 20 people invited included the editor-in-chief of Elle magazine who liked the collection so much she ran it on the front cover.

[caption id="attachment_210918" align="aligncenter" width="683"] A model presents a creation by Kenzo's fashion label Jungle Jap for Autumn/Winter 1977 in Paris. (Image: AFP)[/caption]

He became a name almost overnight. For financial reasons his first collection was made in cotton, often quilted, a look which young fashion leaders took to instantly. But his real impact was with his revolutionary and totally contemporary knitwear, which revitalised the industry. In 1976 he established his studio and boutique in the Place des Victoires.

By the time the likes of Rei Kawakuba of Commes des Garcons and Yohji Yamamoto arrived from Japan in the early 1980s, Takada was already well-established on the French fashion scene. His first men's collection was presented in 1983 and his first perfume, Kenzo Kenzo, in 1988.

From the early 1980s boutiques opened all over the world in New York, London, Milan, Toyko and Rome, followed later by Hong Kong, Munich, Venice, Bangkok and Singapore.

[caption id="attachment_210919" align="aligncenter" width="833"] Supermodel Iman with Kenzo Takada after the presentation of his spring/summer 1983-1984 collection at the Château de Maisons-Laffitte. (Image: Pierre Guillaud/ AFP)[/caption]

Romantic style

Kenzo's romantic style, with its eclectic mix of colour, touches of exoticism, ethnic prints and folksy embroidery, suited the mood of the 1970s but adapted well to the sharper-looking 1980s and 1990s.

For inspiration, he drew on his travels as well as Japanese work clothes, such as his favourite military tunics and coats. Peruvian striped blanket throws, colourful shawls, oriental blouses, peasant smocks, printed velvet, were all part of his signature.

[caption id="attachment_210914" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Kenzo Takada salutes the audience at the end of his ready-to-wear Fall/Winter 1998/99 collection presentation in Paris. (Image: Joel Saget/ AFP)[/caption]

It was a measure of his success that he was notoriously prey to copyists. British designer Jasper Conran, interviewed on the problem, said he knew of a company in South Africa specialising in ripping off Kenzo, seam for seam. "They make a fortune — more than Kenzo I reckon — but there's nothing he can do about it."

He was made chevalier de l'ordre des Arts et des Lettres in 1986 by France in recognition of his career. He tried his hand at film-making with "Reve apres Reve" in 1980 and designed costumes for a Stockhausen opera.

Apart from travel, his other obsession was gambling. He guarded his privacy by building himself a house in the country in the very heart of Paris, only a few yards from the Bastille opera house, complete with authentic tea pavilion and a pool of carp.

(Main and featured images: Joel Saget/ AFP)

The post Looking Back on the Legacy of the Late Kenzo Takada, Founder of Kenzo appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

By now, your bosses and colleagues have probably seen more of your abode than you would've ever expected to show them.

With many of us working from home these days, meetings held over video conferencing apps the likes of Zoom and Microsoft Teams have become the new normal. Inevitably, this means letting colleagues into our residences — albeit virtually — and having them catch glimpses of it via our backdrop. Depending on where your workspace is located, this view could range from a boring blank wall to windows or cluttered bookshelves.

Your makeshift office may not be the most glamorous, but there are several easy interior design tricks that you can employ to quickly jazz up the background of your Zoom calls.

Textiles and cushions

If your workstation of choice is the couch or bed, all it takes is a few snazzy throw pillows wrapped in eye-catching fabrics and prints to provide visual interest in the space behind you. Consider dressing your cushions in the Armani/Casa Exclusive Textiles by Rubelli collection, which is inspired by modern art — specifically works by Henri Matisse, Vasilij Kandinskij and Paul Klee.

It showcases striking colour blocks embellished with embroideries, ikat details and intertwined motifs. These are available in various patterns and shades ranging from pastel to neutral hues. More details here.

Houseplants and greenery

Adding houseplants to your home office will help the space look less spartan and bland. Smaller plants like cacti, succulents and spider plants can be displayed on shelves or tables, while larger ones such as philodendrons, snake plants and ZZ plant (Zanzibar Gem) can be placed on the floor to break the monotony of blank walls.

Online plant retailer Flora Houses offers a wide variety of houseplants that will thrive indoors and are generally low-maintenance. Its range includes Japanese fir, fiddle leaf fig and Bird of Paradise. The store provides free doorstep delivery with a minimum spend.

Artworks and paintings

Perhaps houseplants may seem like too much of a commitment, or you simply don't have green fingers. This is where paintings and art pieces make an easier alternative. You can simply hang a couple of them on the wall that constantly forms your video call backdrop.

An Andy Warhol or Basquiat will certainly impress your co-workers, but your art doesn't necessarily have to be expensive or by big name artists. Consider procuring artworks instead from indie galleries such as Odd One Out, which boasts an array of creations by local and international printmakers and illustrators. We can't take our eyes off the above acrylic painting by Micke Lindebergh, which is titled 'Small Yellow Flower Pot' and features colourful blooms accented by quirky squiggles and bright hues.

Statement ornaments and furniture

Inject a dose of quirk into your meeting setup by peppering your background with assorted decorative items and statement furniture pieces. These can be anything from figurines to colourful tiles and dramatic room dividers.

Our go-to is Lala Curio, which is a whimsical wonderland of objets d'art such as brass monkey sculptures, cloisonné birds, and, one of our favourites — an adorable trio of cranes adorned with rock crystal feathers and perched on crystal balls.

Wallpaper

Why settle for one specially curated work area, when you can turn your whole room into an Instagram-worthy space? Wallpaper is a bold and easy solution — if every wall in your room is clad in beautiful prints, you can essentially park yourself in any corner and still have an envy-inducing Zoom backdrop.

Designer wallpaper has seen a resurgence in recent years, and we're obsessed with Christian Lacroix's exquisite Oiseau Fleur vinyl wallpaper, which depicts vibrant botanical and bird motifs against a silk effect embossed base. It comes in two colourways of pink and grey.

(Main image: Brina Blum/ Unsplash; Featured image: Christian Lacroix)

The post Kenzo Teams Up with WWF on a New Collection in Support of Tiger Conservation appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

Known for his loud prints and bold colours, the hugely influential Japanese-born designer is still going strong in his 80s.

The post Kenzo Takada: his legacy and influences appeared first on The Peak Magazine.

Known for his loud prints and bold colours, the hugely influential Japanese-born designer is still going strong in his 80s.

For more stories like this, visit www.thepeakmagazine.com.sg.

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The post Streetwear is in: traditional luxury houses embrace urban chic for Spring/Summer 2019 appeared first on The Peak Magazine.

Streetwear is in. Hip, younger designers are injecting a bit of cool-cred into fashion's stalwarts.

For more stories like this, visit www.thepeakmagazine.com.sg.

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The post The Fashion It List for Her appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

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The post 3 ways to carry off a logo without veering into gauche territory appeared first on The Peak Magazine.

’90s-style logomania is back. Here’s how to don a brand motif without looking like a boor.

For more stories like this, visit www.thepeakmagazine.com.sg.

Shot in his high school and featuring his mother, KENZO's "The Everything" is a film close to creative director Humberto Leon's heart in many ways.

The post Everything You Need To Know About Kenzo’s “The Everything” appeared first on LUXUO.

The Kenzo Spring/ Summer 2019 collection blends the art of tailoring with athletic silhouettes as a tribute to the original vision of Kenzo Takada.

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The new normal as defined by the 2018 Spring/Summer collection.

The post 5 fashion trends for Spring/Summer 2018: Familiar with an unexpected twist appeared first on The Peak Magazine.