H&M is launching its new collaboration designer collection with high-end brand, Kenzo today – and it’s only available at their stores at Siam Paragon and Central World.
Vibrant heritage designs, full of vivid prints, feminine details and playful silhouettes are all part of Kenzo’s collection for women.
Creative directors Carol Lim and Humberto Leon have filtered through the archives of founder Kenzo Takada and given it a modern attitude.
Colours and prints contrast and clash and ribbons and ruffles give folkloric charm, while sporty shapes add urban energy. It’s a collection of designs that are totally unique to H&M, both wearable and exclusive, that shine a fresh light on one of fashion’s most thrilling histories.
Many pieces in the collection offer a new take on Kenzo archive pieces, such as the long tiered dress made entirely from patterned ribbons. It’s one of the most iconic designs – only two of the original were ever made – making this new version a true collector’s piece.
Kimonos were a signature of the brand, and for H&M Lim and Leon have created two reversible quilted styles, one a long kimono coat, the other a zip-up kimono blouson. Meanwhile, a classic 80s look is recreated with a long-sleeve tiger print jersey top and matching tiger print jersey pants.
For the vivid prints, freedom and vivacity in the clash of prints run throughout the collection. Key prints include the famous Kenzo’s tiger stripes, a mash-up of animal prints, florals, an archive medallion print and an oversized print of mesh. Often there’s more than one print used in the same garment, like the flowing silk dress that combines mesh with floral, or the long tiered and pleated skirt that clashes different shades of animal print.
The collection is overflowing with femininity, especially the ruffles that fall across many of the pieces. Parisian ruffles sit on a mandarin collar of a tiger print shirt, while ruffles decorate the edge of a reversible tiger-print wrap skirt. There’s also pleating and gathers to soften the silhouette, while contrast colour piping catches the eye.
Knitwear mixes machine and craft, with a 3D jacquard tiger stripe sweater trimmed with a band of striped crochet knit at the hem. The little details are all important in the collection, especially the sweet antiqued gold flower buttons that hold the mandarin collar neckline of a silk mesh medallion print tunic dress.
Kenzo’s menswear collection at H&M is bold and powerful, a celebration of print, colour and self-expression. Creative directors Lim and Leon have selected archival prints by founder Kenzo Takada and reinvigorated them on new menswear classics such as sweatshirts, hoodies, bombers and parkas.
The result is a collection of pieces that are totally unique, playfully mixing colour, print and texture to express freedom in fashion.
Logos are also one of the key themes. A new patchwork logo adapted from the archives that reads Kenzo Jungle Paris, with the letters in a circle around a Kenzo tiger, appears on a series of sweatshirts, either black, cream or in a clashing animal print, as well as on T-shirts. It is also patchworked onto the back of many pieces, such as the black padded zip-up leather |jacket.