Kenzo prints nature on variety of easy-to-wear clothes<\/p>\n
By Parvathi Nayar Narayan<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Amidst lush tropical foliage, to the beat of a
\nfoot-tapping French song from the soundtrack of French Kiss, a
\npert young thing in an even more pert, ultra-short silk dress
\nbeckons to three waiting hunks. Sashaying around in her sinuous,
\nwild jungle print number in bold greens, reds, blues and yellows,
\nteamed with a canary yellow overshirt and brightly patterned
\nknapsack, she saucily contemplates which one to honor with her
\nfavor.<\/p>\n
The stuff (some) fantasies are made of? Rather, the opening
\nsequence of Kenzo's 1996 Spring-Summer Collection, recently
\nunveiled in Jakarta. \"Creations for a more beautiful world\"
\npitches the catalog. In keeping with the current \"green\" times,
\nthe theme of the show flora and fauna. The show offered clothes
\nin a variety of prints -- flowers, fish, butterflies -- in colors
\nthat were bright but not shockingly so, in a range of fabrics
\nthat included linens, viscose, rayons and mixes.<\/p>\n
The women's clothes were mainly coordinates, lots of blouses
\nand skirts, as well as dresses. Kenzo put his own spin to the
\nshift dress, which has been popular this season. Slim and
\nsleeveless in plain fabrics, Kenzo's shifts were in his bright,
\ntrademark colors like deep pink and yellow. The addition of a
\nmatching jacket or contrasting scarf set the mood as formal or,
\nto use that ubiquitous phrase, smart-casual.<\/p>\n
Scarves and bags were attractive accessories. Apart from chic
\nbasic black, there were also eye-catching bags in bright colors.
\nThese totes, knapsacks and shopping bags in heavy duty canvas had
\nthe same fish and floral prints. However, as the models
\ndemonstrated, the fun lies in mixing up the prints, not in a bag
\nand dress of the same color or print. Even on their own -- with
\nthe right outfit of course -- these knapsacks would make quite an
\nimpact.<\/p>\n
The prints themselves were exploited to their full potential,
\nappearing in a range of colors and fabrics. A summer bouquet of
\npoppies was seen as a motif both on transparent white, pleated
\ninto a flowing skirt, as well as on a black shirt worn over a
\nstreamlined and black strap dress. Heady poppies seemed quite the
\nflower statement of the day, seen too as a large single flower
\nprint in maroons, on white and on black. These were made up into
\npleated summery dresses, and slightly dressier ones.<\/p>\n
Floral prints were also in evidence as slim suits, which were
\ndefinitely more interesting, and with a better fit and feel than
\nthe plain ones in synthetic, self-designed fabric. Apart from the
\nodd lone houndstooth suit with the trendy three quarter sleeves,
\nthe mood of the clothes was more casual, fun. Embroidery provided
\nthe occasional accent; a floral mass just on the patch pockets of
\na plain suit was a detail that enlivened the whole outfit.
\nDespite frequent predictions by fashion pundits that the suit is
\nout, it seems to have the staying power of endless possibilities.<\/p>\n
Perhaps in keeping with the popularity of lace this Spring in
\nParis -- mixed with leather by Versace, layered by Ungaro,
\nfashioned into evening allure by Lagerfeld -- there was some
\nstretch lace on show as short blouses.<\/p>\n
The show was dominated with clothes for women, picked equally
\nfrom Kenzo's two lines, Kenzo Paris and Kenzo Jungle. Men got
\nrather step-sisterly (or brotherly) treatment, with an extremely
\nlimited assortment picked from the Kenzo Jeans, Homme and Paris
\nlines. The most interesting menswear on show was the patterned
\nwaistcoats, seen teamed with suits.<\/p>\n
Naseer B. Hja Latiff, the General Manager (Boutique Division),
\nsaid he would like to extend the scope of the menswear range in
\nJakarta, perhaps even encourage men to look beyond the
\nconventional blue\/black suits and try experimenting with a little
\ncolor. He would also like to widen Kenzo's male customer profile,
\ncurrently consisting of men in their late 20s to early 30s, to
\ninclude older men. Women of a wider age group shop at Kenzo, he
\nadded.<\/p>\n
The jungle look is actually vintage Kenzo. Often described as
\nthe \"most Parisian of Japanese\", Kenzo's first boutique in Paris
\nwas under his brand name Jungle Jap in the Galerie Vivienne.
\nAlready inspired by the stylized images of nature in the
\npaintings of Rousseau, Kenzo's first fashion show at his boutique
\nin 1970 attracted Elle magazine. He was featured on its cover.
\nKenzo had arrived.<\/p>\n
He went on to be famous not just for his clothes, but also the
\nhappenings that seemed to surround his collections, such as a
\ncircus parade inclusive of trapeze artists (1990-91), and an
\nIndian evening complete with elephants. That he continues to be
\ninspired by nature is obvious from the floral and animal prints
\non show. Art too is a special source of inspiration, especially
\nthe vivid colorists like Gauguin, Matisse and artists of the
\nFauve school -- so called, incidentally, because of the wildness
\nof their colors.<\/p>\n
The entire range of the Kenzo Spring\/Summer Collections 1996
\nis available at Kenzo Boutiques in Plaza Senayan, Plaza Indonesia
\nand Pondok Indah Mall. It is a practical and easy-to-wear
\ncollection, unlike the more outrageous concoctions even the
\nfashionably emaciated models would not be caught dead in off the
\ncatwalk. Still, what was missing after the funky and fun
\nbeginning was a really stunning creation or show stopping
\nensemble. Fashion these days seems to be more about attitude than
\nhemlines, and while Kenzo's sassier prints, especially the fish
\nand butterflies, lend themselves to this, the remainder tends to
\nfall into the pretty-but-undistinguished category.<\/p>",
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