Kenzo Takada: biography, personal life, photo

Kenzo Takada is a world-famous designer who first proposed the idea of using elements of a national costume in Western countries. Popularized the Japanese style.

Kenzo Takada: Biography

The future fashion designer was born on February 27, 1939 in the province of Hyogo (Japan). The village in which he grew up was very small and poor. His parents had five children, while the youngest child was Kenzo Takada. The family owned a tea house. This earned her a living.

While still a baby, the fashion designer saw beautiful models of women's clothing in the famous fashion magazine. They surprised him so much that young Takada tried to redraw them. Since then, he himself began to invent models of clothes and draw sketches. It all began with outfits for paper dolls.

After graduation, Takada, like every young man, had to determine his future destiny. He asked his parents to let him go to school for fashion designers. But they felt that their son was making the wrong choice, and sent him to the university, to study English literature.

However, the future designer had enough months to finally make sure that he was making the wrong decision. Kenzo Takada left the university and went to Tokyo. Independent life in a foreign city and getting an education required a lot of money, so the guy got a job as an assistant painter. Takadah washed his hands and primed the surface, getting seven dollars for it. I had to work hard to get the profession of my dreams.

Japanese School of Fashion Designers

Tokyo became the starting point of a talented guy on the road to fulfilling his dreams. Kenzo Takada entered the school of fashion designers and was the only boy there. Prior to this, only girls were studying in this institution.

After a successful graduation from school, the designer gets the opportunity to create clothes for the fashionable store "Sanayi". Also moonlighting as a model in a local magazine.

Kenzo Takada wants to go to Paris. He had heard a lot about the Parisian fashion from his mentor, who had been to this city more than once. Fashionable collections, social events and lifestyle inspired insanely the young fashion designer for the trip.

But in order to go to France, it was necessary a lot of money. And then the designer was lucky again. The house in which he lived, demolished, so Takad paid a decent compensation. Instead of buying new housing for this money, he spent them on a ticket to Paris.

Long-awaited trip to Paris

Kenzo Takada, having got to France, did not know the local language, did not have money and work. However, I felt very happy at the same time. The designer shot a small room and went to all the fashion shows Chanel, Dior and Cardin. But after each show everything became sadder and sadder. There were almost no hopes for a successful future. He understood that the fashion world is very far from him. Most likely, it will remain just a pipe dream.

And to somehow start to fulfill their desires, Kenzo decided to surprise the audience. Come up with something that no one else has seen. Takada got a new inspiration by visiting the show of Courreges. On him he saw a high fashion, but not the same as usual. She was close to real, everyday life.

The fashion designer began to study all techniques of working with unfamiliar materials and colors. In parallel, he creates fashion collections at the same time for several stores. Almost all the money he set aside for the opening of his own firm, which was supposed to bring him an enchanting success.

The first models created a furor for the entire fashion world. Kenzo used a cage, strip, and also an animal print, combining all the details in the most unusual way.

Own brand

In 1975, Kenzo Takada, whose photo you can see in this article, opens his first boutique. But it does not do it on its own. His assistant was Atsuko Kondo - a girl who studied with him at the school of fashion designers. In his store, he launched an unusual collection in the Japanese style, using cotton fabrics.

Kenzo created models that looked very much like a Japanese kimono. This is very amused the Parisian fashion designers. The style that Kenzo proposed was quite unusual. After all, people are used to wearing tight clothes, and not baggy sweaters.

Kenzo's style had its own philosophy. It consisted in the fact that the body needs space not only in the physical sense, but also in the spiritual. The task of his clothes was to hide the human body from prying eyes.

Each year the designer created five new collections, and they all amazed the world of modern fashion. In his outfits, the fashion designer did not use lightning, buttons and other fasteners.

Glory

In the late seventies, the fashion store became the most popular place in Paris. Who is Kenzo Takada, every resident of France knew. And in the eighties, he was able to conquer the entire audience, showing off their outfits. At the same time, he arranged a chic show. The fashion designer loved real fun, so he always found a place for him.

In 1983, Kenzo Takada (a biography briefly describes this fact) decided to launch a men's clothing line. The designer did not want to change his traditions, so the outfits for the stronger sex were also bright. The designer used a rich color scheme and decorated clothes with drawings and patterns. Kenzo became the first to offer a combination of black trousers in a white striped shirt with a strict jacket decorated with motley flowers.

About the first fragrances

Kenzo released its first fragrance in 1987. It was a sweet and exotic scent that contained Japanese secrets. He became very popular among women and made the fashion designer even more famous. In the early nineties the first men's perfume appeared, which was called Pour home. This smell is very popular even in our time. Of course, for so many years, both the packaging and the components of the spirits have changed, but the idea has remained the same.

Multicultural Fashion

Kenzo Takada draws his inspiration from the cultures of different countries. He travels the world a lot, he finds interesting elements of clothing from different peoples. Then connects them, modernizes and comes up with new styles and images. His work has the greatest number of style directions.

During his long and fruitful career, Kenzo has never participated in scandals. Even in the nineties, when the competition was rapidly gaining momentum, the fashion designer clearly adhered to his traditions and did not use scandals to attract attention. Takada had his own philosophy of life, which he could display in his clothes. In his opinion, one must live in harmony with nature and enjoy the smallest life trifles.

New Steps

In 1993, the brand "Kenzo" was at the peak of popularity. It was at this time that she entered the LVMH holding. This company owns the most famous fashionable French brands. Now Kenzo got here as well. Takadu is very pleased, because he was able to immerse himself in the creative process. Now you do not have to worry about the commercial side of your business. Holding brings to the modeler a very good and regular income. However, it does not stop him. Kenzo continues to create and strives for new achievements.

The designer at heart always missed his homeland - Japan. Therefore, I recreated it in a small copy right in the heart of Paris. He built a small tea house, similar to that of his father, as well as a small pond with goldfish.

In 1999, Kenzo decided to leave the fashion world, arguing that this act was necessary for him to rethink his life, rest and gain strength.

In 2002, he returned and pleased the world with new collections. I worked with many brands. Some of them created independently. In addition, the designer began to create stylish interior items. So we can say with confidence that such a talented person was able to cope with his life calling.

Kenzo Takada (the private life of the fashion designer remains a secret) became a Knight of the French Order of Literature and Art. He received this award in 1984. So we can assume that, albeit not completely, but the dream of the parents, he carried out. After all, the order was exactly from literature.