Nigo‘s KENZO Comes into Focus with FW2023 Collection. One year into his role at the helm of KENZO, Nigo presents his Fall/Winter 2023 collection at Salle Pleyel. Titled “The White Album,” the collection for both men and women draws inspiration from global cultures, time periods, and style tropes.
Nigo explores the similarities and differences between his own vision and that of Kenzo Takada, the founder of the brand. He blends Takada’s 1980s portfolio with contemporary street culture influences from Britain, America, and Japan. Traditional Japanese design codes and classic American workwear are in dialogue, defining KENZO’s modern identity. The collection also pays homage to the legacy of Vivienne Westwood, a key influence on Nigo’s design process.
Tailoring in the collection references different eras, with collarless tunic jackets, tapered trousers, and mini-skirts evoking 1960s suiting silhouettes, and ’80s-inspired shapes recalling the decade’s b-boy culture. Western design codes are blended with Japanese martial arts grammar, and a ’70s leather coat is updated with patchwork shearling inspired by American military codes. Denim washes also pay tribute to the ’90s.
Textiles in the collection range from nylon, knitwear, and jersey to British, Scottish, and Italian wools, jacquard, velvets, and fil coupé. Cableknit sweaters are made of Irish Donegal tweed, and the brand’s fair isle pattern is rendered in 3D-knitted, lurex-threaded manifestation.
Overall, the collection celebrates global identities and their artisanal differences, all under the legacy of Kenzo Takada.
