Paris Fashion Week Highlights // Kenzo FW15

Each season Kenzo has managed to suss out a unique and unusual location for their show. This time they gave the fashion world a sneak peek at the still unfinished Philarmonie de Paris, designed by Jean Nouvel on the edge of the French capital.

The halls of the impressive edifice became the backdrop to a Kenzo show that wanted to protect its customers from the elements in style. Using bright colors like hazard orange, "emergency blanket" sliver and bold blues, designers Carol Lim and Humberto Leon made sure Kenzo consumers could easily be spotted by emergency personnel in the off chance of a natural disaster.

“It was really about language, community. We wanted to form this community that could self sustain 

and this idea of accepting others and accepting that something could be out there. So we had all these symbols running through the collection – where you can find water, shelter protection.” 

Humberto Leon

Baring that, all the eye catching prints and knitwear, the heavy duty nylon parkas and the tent-like wool coats will certainly be spotted on the all important concrete catwalk.

As a counterpoint to all the flashier fashions, the duo turned to the camouflage power of olive green, using it as a base for fuzzy moss-esque sweatshirs , a wide selection of trousers and patterned outerwear designed perhaps to blend in most efficiently in an urban jungle.

The layered looks all had a stylish survivalist slant and felt completely on point with current fashion attitudes. Even the rugged Frankenstein footwear, constructed out of different materials sutured together, had a quirky, clunky charm. As for the Kenzo seasonal "it" item, that honour goes to the care label sweatshirt with the words “Love Kenzo Respect Others Irony” emblazoned across the front.