11th March 2019, Dubai: On Monday 11th March, KENZO hosted an exclusive event to celebrate the global launch ofKENZO – La Collection Memento No.4 at its relocated store at the heart of The Dubai Mall.A selection of top tier press from fashion and lifestyle publications, influencers and friends of the house were invited to themorning cocktail preview. KENZO –La Collection Memento N°4revisits the brand’s archival elements and reworks them as summer staples.
As the collection puts the spotlight on some of the house’s most vivid and diverse prints and graphics, while celebrating Kenzo Takada’s love for food and entertaining, the brand collaborated for a second time with London-based set designer Gary Card to take over the newly designed flagship store and create a unique installation inspired by the collection.
Known for his playful positivity, the British set designer is recognizable by his past collaborations which include shop window installations for luxury fashion brands and bespoke costumes and headpieces commissioned by celebrities, in addition to his very own extraordinary exhibitions. Gary was first commissioned by the brand during the showcase of La Collection Memento No.3 to render some of artist, Henri Rousseau’s jungle scenes as three-dimensional wearable works of art, which won him high praises from international fashion critics. Following the successful collaboration, it seemed natural to renew the collaboration to celebrate the regional launch of the new collection.
Guests arrived at the KENZO store, relocated to the Fashion Atrium, and were greeted by Gary Card’s enormous oversized tomato sculptures, a nod to a key print from the collection. While exploring Gary’s unique setup, attendees had the opportunity to discover not only the new collection, but also the new store design and four globally exclusive KENZO – La Collection Memento N°4 pieces to be found solely at the Dubai Mall. Through the collection, creative directors Carl Lim and Humberto Leon pay homage to the brand’s founder Kenzo Takada by picking one of the brand’s most whimsical prints, hyperreal tomato graphics, and making it prominent in each design. The event mirrored the prominence of the tomato graphics – as guests mingled and discovered the store and collection, they had the opportunity to participate in a tomato grow kit station while savoring a tomato-inspired menu specially curated by Chef Michael Fessler.
KENZO – La Collection Memento No.4 was released instore right after the show following the collection’s presentation during Paris Fashion Week on February 27th and is available for four weeks.