The whole story of Kenzo company is tightly bound with the personality of Takada Kenzo, the founder and (up to 1999) chief designer of the company. Born in 1939 in Japanese Himeji, Takada Kenzo has made his name the synonym of style and fashion all over the world.
Kenzo started to adore fashion in his early ages (it is said, after reading his sister’s fashion magazines). To reach his dreams and become a world-known designer, Kenzo graduates from Tokyo's Bunka Fashion College and goes to Paris, the fashion capital of the world. Being quite poor at that time, Kenzo cannot afford buying fashionable fabrics, so that his first models were made up from second-hand items and scraps.
In 1970 the success comes to Kenzo company, the first shop is opened in Paris and the first shows start. Actually, the shows have always been a hallmark of the company – once the show was even arranged in a circus tent, with all the models riding horses, and Takada Kenzo himself – an elephant!
The success in perfume sphere started in 1988 with the launching of Kenzo de Kenzo, a scent for women, now considered to be the classics of its sphere. But Flower by Kenzo, created and launched in 2000, has reached overwhelming popularity all over the world, and determined the whole perfume-creation style of the company, lasting even today. Except for male and female perfumes, Kenzo also produces skin-care products, united under the name KenzoKI.
In 1999 Takada Kenzo announced his retirement, which was certainly a great loss for the company. However, a truly gifted person is unable to live without creative process – and in 2005 Takada Kenzo presented his line of designer furniture. Hopefully, the company and its creative, talented designer won’t stop in future.
