From the venue to the presentation to the collection itself, Kenzo’s offerings this season were – in a word – audacious. Against an eyeball-blasting backdrop of searing yellow and a complicated floor plan that included three elevators, Kenzo designers Humberto Leon and Carol Lim leaned in hard to their new-kids-on-the-block reputation, and ended up walking away from it all triumphant. Their textural, mixed print, interior-themed collection has got our attention, and every one of their astonishing 50 looks deserves high praise. At the start of the show, Kenzo uses grainy textured tweeds as a starting point, but quickly switches them out for stiff satins, chunky knitwear, and velvet. The mullet skirt gets a makeover with a shorter back level and added pleats. Contrast print trousers came down the runway, framed by ruffled peplum. One spaghetti strap oversized, drop-waist maxi dress will be a surefire sell-out come summer. Leon and Lim used a series of garish wallpaper prints, the Kenzo logo, and bunches of grapes were the visual candy the audience munched happily on. There was a clean modernity to all of this taut, savvy tailoring that basically sealed Kenzo’s new, improved, stellar reputation. The industry likes big sprawling concepts like this, especially when they’re executed so confidently.

written by GRACE GORDON|photos: courtesy of GoRunway