60 fashion sketches

[1990-2000].
60 original sketches (210 x 280 mm), in ink, felt pen, graphite or watercolor.

A collection of 60 fashion sketches and drawings for the latest collections, produced between 1990 and 2000.

The story of Kenzo Takada is that of the first Japanese designer to make his mark on the Paris fashion scene. Born in 1939 in Himeji, Japan, Kenzo developed an early interest in fashion. Opposing his parents' decision to pursue literary studies, he enrolled at Tokyo's Bunka Fashion College, where he was one of the first male students to be admitted to the fashion and textile department. In 1965, he left his homeland to pursue his dream in the fashion capital of the world: Paris. "Every wall, every corner of the sky and every passer-by in the city inspires me to imagine my collections", said Kenzo Takada of his adopted city. He had moved there to learn from the greats, with the idea of returning to Japan afterwards. In love with the City of Light, with the feeling of being at home and the desire to "create something", he stayed for over 50 years.

In 1970, he organized his first fashion show and opened his first boutique, Jungle Jap. During his first year in business, he presented not two but four collections in one year. He was also one of the first to invent the concept of ready-to-wear. In Kenzo's creations, unstructured shapes and garish but not vulgar colors coexist, making the designer's reputation. In 1983, Kenzo began to take an interest in men's fashion, opening its first men's boutique four years later, and making a name for itself with its shoe collection, now a fashion classic. At the end of the 1980s, the designer entered the world of perfume, which he explored with as much talent as he had in haute couture. After the death of his partner in 1990, Kenzo decided to sell the Kenzo brand to the LVMH group, before his final departure in 1999.

These designs, from the last collections to emerge from his pencil, remained his property until his death from covid on October 4, 2020. The contents of his Paris apartment, which contained them, were sold by Artcurial in spring 2021. All these drawings come from it.

Exceptional set, in a remarkable presentation slipcase by Julie Nadot.