Technicolor Dreamcoat! Kenzo by David LaChapelle
Jan. 8, 2019
Kenzo Co-creative directors Humberto Leon and Carol Lim are off to a colorful new year, evolving from their cinematic narratives to embrace the labels lively and colorful DNA for their latest campaign, ‘Kenzotopia’ for Spring 2019.
To bring their vision to live the duo teamed with a colorful character and narrator, filmmaker, artist, and photographer David LaChapelle who has spent part of the past 11 years in tropical heaven-on-earth: Maui, Hawaii.
Shot at his Los Angeles studio, LaChapelle conjured a surreal paradise, where streetscapes, urban apartments, and outdoor scenes blurred into each other in a Technicolor euphoric reverie. Models are joined by fashion moonlighters such as dancers, musicians, students, and even a star-making cameo by Humberto’s mother, Wendy Leon. The campaign is the perfect harmony and coalescence of the passions and ideals of Carol and Humberto and David, as all have devoted their careers to not only following their bliss but spreading it. This season the campaign steers away from the design duos previous directions.
“Carol and I have definitely not been shy to talk about politics in our fashion collections, but this was really a season where we just wanted to celebrate and to enter a fantasy. That’s what David’s photography allows you to do is really let you travel to a different world. I feel like a big inspiration for the collection was to create this fantastical place that could be real, but isn’t.” – Humberto Leon, Co-Creative Director Kenzo
LaChapelle, known for his contemporary art as much as his fashion photography, is a perfect collaborator for the brand and embraced the warmth of the subjects as much as the color and sets.
“I like having different expressions on people, it really adds interest to the photographs. That was organic.” – David LaChapelle
Overall the visually arresting campaign feels more like a return to the houses roots under the direction of founder Kenzō Takada. Most recently the campaigns have still been upbeat and surreal, but the coloring has taken on a hint of darkness to it. The purposeful course correction feels like it jumps back into the colorful Kenzo pond.
“…these images are joyful, but also inclusive and relatable. There is a fantasy you want to be absorbed into. It’s rare to see something like that, both mesmerizing and also something that you want to look at and jump into yourself.” – Carol Lim, Co-Creative Director Kenzo
Kenzo Creative Directors | Humberto Leon and Carol Lim
Photographer | David LaChapelle
Talent | Zane Alexandre, Alyson Cai, Quinn Falls, Guetcha Good, Jalin Gordon, Asia Grey, Savannah Harrison, Devin & Gaberial Higgins, Jae Won Kim, Andre Lamone, Wendy Leon, Alton Mason, Nadja Marinkowic, Karen McDonald, Sam Ortiz, Jasmine Sandoval, Richie Shazam, Evelyn Wander Wende, & Sydney Wiley
Stylist | Anna Trevelyan
Hair | Laurent Philippon
Makeup | Sarah Tanno & Dana Delaney
Manicurist | Naomi Yasuda
Set Design | Jack Flanagan
Casting Directors | The Secret Gallery, Samantha Blake Goodman, Bok Creative
Choreography & Video | John Byrne
Music | Kingdom, “Getaway Kind”
Behind the scenes images and video | Sage Seb
Music behind the scenes video | Sinjin Hawke, “Shimmer”
Production | Creative Exchange Agency
Source: The Impression