“What a mystery Sardinia is, it’s like Japan. Two islands, the sea all around, the isolation that makes them stronger. In Japan as in Sardinia, nature reigns, the rocks and waters are idols”. Looking at the travel notebook with my name in ink calligraphy, I knew I was on my way to a journey into the past and future of the House of Kenzo.
To celebrate the 40th anniversary of the famous fashion house, Antonio Marras put on a magnificent show in the sumptuous setting of the Cirque d’hiver. Beginning with the presentation of the Spring-Summer 2011 collection, the brand’s artistic director showed us the full extent of his savoir-faire in a breathtaking finale featuring 40 matriochka silhouettes, bringing together all the major trends from the Maison’s archives that have marked 40 years of creations, beauty and travel.
Arriving one by one on the Cirque d’hiver stage, the last silhouettes in geisha make-up stop in the center of a stage that begins to spin, allowing everyone to admire these magnificent Russian dolls in exceptional ethnic outfits.
To create the outfits for his ethnic dolls, Antonio Marras drew inspiration from the archives of founder Kenzo Takada, reinterpreting them in his own way: “ I rummaged through collections from the 1980s and 1990s. It was beautiful, but I didn’t think it was appropriate to show the clothes as they were, preferring to reinvent them to present something special. I didn’t want a fashion show, but rather a performance, an installation. (…) It’s a kind of journey around the world in 40 days, representing the spirit of Kenzo. “.
Large peasant dresses, jackets mounted as headdresses, sometimes with a man’s hat at the top, kimonos worn as large Mongolian-style coats, overlapping babushka skirts – nothing seems to limit the creativity of Antonio Marras who, with the help of stylist Vanessa Reid, offers us silhouettes full of colors, shapes and prints that, by taking us on a journey through these famous archives, succeed in transporting us to more distant lands.
For the Spring-Summer 2011 collection, Antonio Marras offers us silhouettes inspired by both Japan, home of Kenzo Takada, and his homeland of Sardinia. In an ongoing conversation between the two islands, the designer shows us a wardrobe inspired by the similarities between the two cultures, in the continuity of a style that began on one shore and ended on another, without losing its essence.
Japanese floral prints, pastel hues, lacquered wooden plinths: everything recalls the origins of the House of Kenzo. Jumpsuits, loose-fitting pants and tunic dresses conceal curves, while deep necklines often reveal colorful, sparkling lingerie.
All lightness and subtlety, Antonio Marras mixes fabrics and floral prints inspired by antique kimonos. Silk crepe, sandblasted chiffon, tulle, wild linen and silk make up an airy wardrobe. Beige, rust, brick, sand, delicate colors and pastels harmonize with optical white.
“The art of travel has yet to be invented“, says the Sardinian designer. And yes, for this Spring-Summer 2011 collection, he is redefining the codes of a bohemian-chic style, the brand’s DNA, born yesterday under Kenzo Takada, enduring today through his creations and remaining to be reinvented beyond the times. And every time, the impression of travel remains intact.
Marie-Odile Radom
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