Kenzo '94: Style without surprises

Kenzo '94: Style without surprises

By Jason Tedjasukmana

JAKARTA (JP): "Very wearable" was what the woman next to me
said as the last model shimmied off the runway.

This aptly describes Kenzo's Autumn and Winter 1994
collection, launched this week in Jakarta.

Sensible styling with emphasis on practicality and versatility
characterizes most of the four Kenzo lines, leaving haute couture
and impossible fashion in the wake of the waif.

The use of separates dominates the majority of the women's
wear, as Kenzo cleverly balances utilitarian styling with vibrant
design. The two combine to form part of Kenzo Paris' active,
daytime wear that draws inspiration from Indian and Nepalese
flora and fauna motifs. Though the colors are loud and the
prints striking, there is an pleasant compatibility inherent in
each of the vests, short A-frame dresses and straight-legged
trousers.

Ironically, the look is more interesting when the pieces are
not coordinated with their matching mates. Together with solid
and more neutral-colored garments, the vibrant shades of burnt
orange, wine, mustard and azure in the mini-dresses, for example,
are set off in sartorial splendor when worn over solid black,
taupe or cream-colored trousers.

Kenzo's strength this season lies in his use of materials,
most notably in the evening collection of Kenzo Paris. The lush
textures of this season's fabrics are highlighted in the sheer,
satin dresses, skirts and gowns that make up much of the line.
With the exception of a few skin-tight, sleeveless tops, the
evening wear overall is quite conservative, allowing wearers to
put a classy foot forward when stepping out at night.

One of the most versatile evening pieces is Kenzo's "Ball"
skirt in black flocked silk jacquard with a tulip motif: Elegant
when paired with his black chenille sweater, provocative with a
sleeveless, princess-line top and "flapper" when worn together
with a mock turtle-neck and elbow-high lace gloves.

To this generally more sophisticated component of the
collection, Kenzo has also added a few playful touches in the
form of fluffy, black feather boas and long, floppy,
harlequinesque collars. What his intentions were, however, with
his line of women's tuxedo coats with tails is not so clear as
the design is cute but not terribly original or flattering.

Tame Thing

Options for the working woman are limited mostly to high-
waisted trousers and semi-frumpy blouses, which can be spruced up
and accentuated with the same embroidered collars and cuffs seen
in the evening wear. Kenzo's office ensembles don't break any
nine to five fashion barriers but are probably a safer bet in
today's corporate climate of grabbing hands and libidinous leers.

For that rebel without a mall there is Kenzo Jungle, a world
turned upside-down by fuchsias, pinks, purples and blues. Velvet
and leather trousers, animal motif T-shirts and suedecloth shirts
lend a slightly unorthodox edge and will most likely appeal to
that sassy young lady in need of a statement.

The roar of Kenzo Jungle quiets down a bit in selections from
this year's Kenzo Jeans, especially when a 1960s theme is
introduced. In an attempt to get retro with phosphorescent colors
and quasi-tie-dyed patterns, the cotton elastane zebra-striped
pants and jackets are closer akin to shag carpeting than hippie-
fashion.

This attempt to inject excitement into an everyday wardrobe is
appreciated though as most of the line is fairly standard
denimwear. Calf-length, front-buttoning jean dresses stand out
among the choices for women, while vests, jackets, shorts and an
occasional Western-styled jean shirt comprise the men's line.

Homme Alone

Kenzo's fashion for men doesn't take any unnecessary risks and
leaves today's man in something of a quagmire of conventional
clothing. Little of the energy that went into creating something
eye-catching for women has trickled into Kenzo Homme, a bland
diet of glen plaid blazers, khaki trousers and an array of
uninspired button down shirts.

Single-breasted suits, a staple of Kenzo Homme, are standard
fare, cut cleanly in their design. The wool/cotton blends, in
solid colors of cream and olive, flow most elegantly in the two
and three-button single-breasts. The fabrics don't hang quite as
well in the double-breasted suits, which come off a bit boxy and
staid.

Though the leaf motifs are in keeping with the spirit of
autumn, the shirts exhibited at their show looked stiff and the
trousers meant to accompany them come in rather drab shades of
wine, olive and brown. The menswear in this season's fashion
show is in stark contrast to what is found in the Kenzo Travel
Log, which offers rich, rustic-looking wool scarves and
cardigans, herringbone jackets and cotton/alpaca trousers in
black, charcoal and navy. This discrepancy may in fact be due to
Jakarta's tropical weather, in which case, maybe the gents will
have more to look forward to in Spring.