For their final show as the creative heads at Kenzo, it seemed fitting that Carol Lim and Humberto Leon returned to the theme of water. Over the past eight years—and what electrifying, purpose-driven, digital-savvy years they’ve been—these native Californians have remained close to the ocean, whether drawing attention to overfishing and arctic surfing or infusing collections with surf and beach vibes. At the Bercy Arena today, it is no exaggeration to say that the runway felt like the center of a parted sea, with waves of guests rising on either side—some 7,000 people including the usual makeup of press, friends, and industry as well as students, charity groups, and employees joined by their families.
Breaking from the usual preshow Q&A, a press text substituted for face time with Lim and Leon. It noted how the collections drew inspiration from the female free divers in Japan known as ama (as an aside, the Korean equivalent of these fisherwomen, haenyeo, informed the current Off-White Resort collection). The designers evoked these “last mermaids” through all manners of marine reference: neoprene suiting; diving gear reimagined as outerwear; sailor collars on jackets; filmy fabrics in underwater hues; shirts patterned with shrimp or else a jacquard of woodblock-style mermaids; fishnet sleeves dotted with pearls; color-blocked scuba-style sandals; and dressy pieces dripping with aquatic embellishments. Most of the looks will be fun to wear, with only a few outliers drifting toward camp. But hey, isn’t that au courant these days?
In any case, when Solange Knowles appeared as the halftime entertainment, her voice echoed through the space as though we were all underwater. T.S. Eliot once wrote of mermaids singing, a sublime moment marred by melancholy. But this was conceived as an uplifting celebration in which a troupe of dancers wore previous collections, and Lim and Leon brought out their kids for a final walk, smiling through it all. Their imprint on the house—the best-selling Tiger merch and giant eye icons; the short films and reaffirming messaging; the engagement and awareness—has been immense. A giant merci to this incomparable duo for every day they applied their imagination to Kenzo. What a splash!
