Kenzo Takada’s solo exhibition will be held at Tokyo Opera City Art Gallery in Hatsudai, Tokyo, from July 6 (Sat) to September 16 (Mon).
Kenzo Takada is a fashion designer from Hyogo Prefecture, known as the founder of “KENZO. He was one of the first Japanese fashion designers to enter Paris, and by the time of his death from complications of the new coronavirus in 2020, he had presented a succession of styles that broke with the norm with his innovative ideas. He was called the “Poet of Cotton” and attracted a lot of attention because of the new possibilities of cotton. After leaving the “KENZO” brand in 1999, he continued to create designs with a unique combination of colors and patterns that made full use of his Japanese sensibility, and his presence has been felt around the world. After retiring from the KENZO brand in 1999, he continued to work energetically, including designing the uniforms worn by the Japanese athletes at the Athens Olympics in 2004.
This exhibition, the first large-scale solo exhibition of Takata’s work since his death, traces the transition of Takata’s fashion with an exhibition of his costumes, and also introduces the paintings he had drawn since his childhood, materials that became the source of his ideas, and costume design drawings. Old Kenzo” selected from domestic and international collections will also be on display, including the commemorative piece that won the “Soen Award,” early works using “Japanese cloth,” materials and techniques such as “knit,” “tweed,” and “balloon,” “anti-couture,” “peasant look,” “military look,” and more. and other themes Takada presented in the 1970s.
Also featured are folklore works from the 1970s and 1980s inspired by the ethnic costumes of Japan, China, Romania, Russia, Africa, and other regions of the world that have become synonymous with Takada. A digitized digest of the video film of “30ans” (Trintin), Takada’s last show under the “KENZO” brand, which was the culmination of his career, will also be on view.
Advance tickets will be available online until Friday, July 5.
Information
Dates: July 6, 2024 (Sat) – September 16, 2024 (Mon) *62 days
Venue: Tokyo Opera City Art Gallery
Hours: 11:00 – 19:00 (Admission until 18:30)
Closed Mondays (or the following Tuesday if Monday is a national holiday), August 4 (Sunday, all galleries are closed)
Organizers: Tokyo Opera City Cultural Foundation, The Mainichi Newspapers, Japan Arts Council, Agency for Cultural Affairs
Special Support NTT Urban Development REIT, Inc.
Supported by Seibi Holdings, DNP Dai Nippon Printing, Daiwa House Industry Co.
Supported by Embassy of France in Japan / Institut français, TBS Growdia
Special Cooperation Bunka Gakuen Fashion Resource Center, KENZO PARIS
Cooperation Japan Airlines
Admission: Adult 1,600 yen / Senior high school and University students 1,000 yen / Junior high school students and younger free
Advance tickets: Adult 1,400 yen / Senior high school and University students 800 yen
Advance Ticket Sales Period May 1 [Wed] – July 5 [Fri].
Available online at https://www.e-tix.jp/takadakenzo/
Inquiries 050-5541-8600 (Hello Dial)
Includes admission to the concurrently held “Collection Exhibition 080: Mysteries in the Neighborhood” and “project N 95: Kaoru Taguchi”.
*［Prices in parentheses are discount rates.
*Admission is free for disabled persons with a disability certificate and one accompanying person.
*Discounts cannot be combined and admission fees are non-refundable.
Profile
Born in 1939 in Himeji City, Hyogo Prefecture. He entered Bunka Fashion College and won the 8th Soen Award, a gateway to success for young designers, in 1960. In 1970, five years after moving to France, he launched his own brand in Paris. After retiring from the KENZO brand in 1999, he continued to work energetically, collaborating with companies, producing opera costumes, and launching new brands. He passed away in 2020 at the age of 81.
1984 Chevalier de la Ordre des Arts et des Lettres of France
1985 The 3rd Mainichi Fashion Grand Prix
1998 Commandeur de la Ordre des Arts et des Lettres National de la Merit
1999 Medal with Purple Ribbon
2016 Chevalier de la Legion d’Honneur and many other awards
