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Something seems to be in the air when it comes to LVMH brands and the bridges of Paris. At the start of this season’s Paris Fashion Week, fans saw Pharrell Williams make his debut as creative director of Louis Vuitton menswear on the famous Pont Neuf bridge. Now, long-time friend and colleague NIGO has organized the 2024 spring/summer season in another memorable location. NIGO continues to bring the real ethos to Paris.
Suspended above La Seine with the Eiffel Tower and the Parisian sunset as a backdrop, a star-studded VIP group crosses the Passerelle de Ville to experience the show. The space can be a symbolic symbol that furthers the designer’s constant idea of bridging the East and the West. The collection “Urban Pop Paris” brings together Kenzo Takada’s legacy and NGO’s contemporary vision. The soundtrack was a nod to the designer’s teenage years in Japan in the 80s – a mix of pop, funk and boogie, which set the soundtrack for a graphic, preppy and poppy look. Notable attendees include Kyle Kuzma, Winnie Harlow, Offset and even Pharrell himself. NIGO’s fourth season at home attracted audiences from around the world. Staying true to the brand’s Japanese roots, NIGO drew inspiration from traditional clothing to create a structured look that was seen throughout the collection. The judo uwagi stands out as a fusion of East and West, where NGO rides on a casual indoor jacket.
The collection was a mix of suits and formal tailoring as well as soft tailoring that took on unusual shapes. Offering both a womenswear and menswear collection, KENZO Girls Don’t Cry has announced a collaboration with Japanese designer, VERDY, on several pieces featured in the collection. Verdi lends his creative flair to clothing, making this collection a fusion of streetwear and luxury. The collaborative pieces are not only a creative dialogue between both Japanese artists, but also connect the East and West of each designer through the lens of KENZO. Using VERDY’s signature graphics, combined with NIGO’s headline themes, the collection is an expansive interpretation of KENZO’s traditional codes. The KENZO flower has been refined, giving it a more subtle beauty and applied to various pieces. Structure was the name of the game, NIGO and VERDY focused on box cutters. Juxtaposition featured cargo shorts with oversized button-downs.
To better understand NIGO and VERDY’s creative process, Hypebeast spoke with the two designers about their relationship and how this collaboration came about in an exclusive chat. See below.
Kenzo
Hypebeast: You two have worked together on many projects over the years. How would you describe your collaborative process?
Nigo: It’s like a daily conversation. Working together naturally arises from communication.
Verdi: Our collaborative process is very organic. Nigo and I meet up often and share any good ideas we have. If we both like an idea, I’ll sketch it out. When the graphic is complete, Nigo will figure out how he wants to apply the graphic – it will go on T-shirts, hats, accessories, etc. Then he will share with me and we will agree on what items.
What was it like for Kenzo to collaborate with Artificial or Girls Don’t Cry? How did this collaboration come about?
Nigo: Most of the things we’ve done before are simple, classic, but this gave us the opportunity to use VERDY graphics in some more complex and interesting pieces.
Ever since I started at Kenzo, I’ve had the idea of doing something, but first I wanted to focus on Kenzo Takada’s legacy. Now that we’re here on my fourth set, it felt like the perfect time to play this card.
Verdi: The process is similar, the only difference being the more streetwear approach of the Synthetic and Girls Don’t Cry collaboration. With Kenzo, it’s a more luxurious approach, so I’m very happy to see my graphics at a higher and more luxurious level and in different silhouettes and fabrics.
This collaboration was also very organic. I couldn’t make it to Nigo’s first set so I saw it on YouTube and thought how good it was. So when he came back to Tokyo, he congratulated me and told me that he wanted to work with me at some point in his Kenzo creative career, and here we are.
What does Kenzo mean to you both? What interior designs do you want to keep and what touches do you add that make the joint unique to the home?
Nigo:I saw Kenzo Takada in real time as a kid. It was a big inspiration for me to see a Japanese designer doing what he did in Paris.
Verdi: Kenzo is special to me as it is Nigo’s first collaboration since he was appointed creative director of the French luxury fashion house. It’s my first time working with a fashion house, and it’s special to me that it has so much Japanese heritage.
In other fashion news, the Lemaire SS24 is the perfect amalgamation of function and class.
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