KENZO X LEVI’S DEBUTS FALL 2023 CAPSULE COLLECTION

Kenzo and Levi’s have joined forces for a Fall 2023 capsule collection, the first-ever collaboration under Nigo at Kenzo, fusing the cultural heritages of the Parisian-Japanese fashion house and the American apparel company. Designed in collaboration with Nigo and Levi’s, the denim-focused proposal for women and men exemplifies the ongoing cross-pollination between historical Japanese dressmaking and classic American workwear central to the practice of Kenzo’s Artistic Director. The capsule collection will be available in Kenzo boutiques worldwide, in selected Levi’s stores and Kenzo partner stores, and on Kenzo.com and Levi.com.

Composed of around twenty garments and accessories crafted mainly in Kaihara premium Japanese denim, the capsule collection epitomizes the real-to-wear functionality key to Nigo’s Kenzo approach. An avid collector of historical clothing, the designer’s archives in Japan hold a considerable catalog of American denim pieces including original Levi Strauss & Co. workwear created for cowboys and miners. His passion for denim and its place in fashion history is reflected in the legacy of Kenzo Takada whose interest in the ease and democratic spirit of denim inspired him to launch the Kenzo Jeans line in 1986. Together, these components make up a wardrobe founded in a conversation between Americana, Japanese construction, and the genetics of Kenzo Takada which inspired the connection between Kenzo and Levi’s.

The East-meets-West philosophy at the heart of Kenzo x Levi’s is framed by a campaign shot in Kyoto. Nigo invites the Japanese filmmaker Umi Ishihara – whose work fuses documentary and fiction styles – to capture the collection in cinematic moving imagery filmed in two traditional sansou mountain villas in Kyoto. The locations likewise play host to a series of still images photographed by the Inner Mongolian photographer Ryu Ika, who illuminates the collection through her inimitable everyday lens. The campaign features an ensemble cast: Abas Abdirazaq, Hayato, Masato Eun, Peipei, Sen Ping, and Shun.

Motifs

Pieces in the Kenzo x Levi’s capsule collection are co-branded with a marque uniting the classic Levi Strauss & Co. “two horse pull” iconography with the Kenzo logo. Metal Levi’s shanks are embossed with Kenzo’s emblematic Boke flower, while back pockets feature the iconic Levi’s arcuate stitching. Embroidered Kenzo logos appear above pockets as a nod to the chain-stitched ‘name badges’ placed on uniforms by factory workers in the early 20th century. Garments in the collection are adorned in two motifs: a Sashiko print imitating the traditional Japanese stitching technique, and an archive floral print revived from the Kenzo Jeans line.

Outerwear

Gender-inclusive outerwear includes a denim jacket with a detachable faux fur collar and a denim fringe jacket with Western yokes, both inspired by 1980s archival pieces from the Kenzo Jungle line. The Levi’s Type II Trucker Jacket from 1967 is re-animated in red satin with a Boke flower embroidery and Western details, and in a savoir-faire vintage-washed denim version, hand-distressed in Japan. Denim blazers inspired by the iconic Bing Crosby denim tuxedo combine tailoring with jean jackets and include a men’s jacket adorned with a trompe l’oeil Sashiko print, and a women’s jacket rendered in the re-invigorated Kenzo Jeans floral print.

Tops, Dresses, and Jeans

A gender-inclusive denim shirt features chain-stitch and sawtooth pocket detailing, while a T-shirt rendered in Kenzo red or off-white bears the memory of a classic Levi’s shirt pocket. Sleeveless button-down denim dresses inspired by Kenzo Takada pieces from the 1980s can be worn open as layering elements and feature in dark blue or the Kenzo Jeans floral print. Dungarees informed by the original Levi’s archetype appear in a dark indigo rinse and another covered in the trompe l’oeil Sashiko print. Gender-inclusive Levi’s 501 Jeans include a vintage-washed denim interpretation hand-distressed in Japan and a rinse indigo denim adaptation with leather and denim suspenders inspired by the original Levi’s 501 Jeans from 1933.

Accessories

A denim tie complements the capsule collection’s conversation between workwear and tailoring, while a denim cardholder puts the Kenzo chain-stitch center stage. In homage to the East-meets-West sensibility of the line, the artwork of a Kenzo red Western bandana integrates Levi’s iconography with that of the Maison.

The Kenzo x Levi’s Fall 2023 Women’s and Men’s Capsule Collection is now available in Kenzo stores, at Kenzo.com, select Levi’s stores, Levi.com, and on the Levi’s App.