Naturally Playful / Naturally Kenzo

KENZO’s Creative Directors, Carol Lim and Humberto Leon have united with evian® to convey their graphic, intimate vision for a unique, one-of-a-kind bottle. The mysterious and strange œuvre of artist and director David Lynch influenced the KENZO Fall-Winter 2014 collections for men and women and it is in this vein that the bottle’s motif features a broken floor pattern, toying with the idea of shifting the elements.rnrnOffering a magnifying glass effect when full, the bottle’s purple fragmented pattern is penetrated by a sole lime zig-zag, giving the holder a distorted and skewed view of its ultra-pure contents.rnrnBorn in the purity of the Alps, dressed with a twisted spirit, the bottle embodies a naturally playful energy: a theme that united the two brands.rnThe evian® + KENZO bottle will be available in two sizes: 75 cl and 33 cl, and this year takes the Limited Edition to a PET range. Exclusively revealed at Fashion Forward Dubai, the evian® + KENZO bottle will be available in the Middle East in selected restaurants and retailers from November 2014rn rnBRANDS INTRODUCTION :rn rnBorn in the heart of the millennial French Alps, among the mountains and the glaciers, the evian® (natural mineral water) water goes through a 15 year-long journey to get its unique balance of mineral composition, thanks to the protection of its impermeable rocks. Naturally filtered by the glaciers’ sands, the evian® water emerges as pure as Nature crafted it.rnrnThe brand itself has always been an embodiment of a playful attitude and the “Live Young” state of mind, a willingness to explore the wonders of our planet and open our eyes to new and inspirational experiences, with the same sense of wonder as child‘s.rnrnSince 2008, evian® has been working every year with the world’s most prestigious designers to create a Limited Edition bottle. Through the creative vision of artists such as Paul Smith, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Issey Miyake or Elie Saab, each collaboration is a renewed celebration of purity and playfulness, a reinterpretation of evian®’s spirit through art and design.rnrn rnSince 2011, Humberto Leon and Carol Lim have been creative directors of KENZO, reviving the spirit which lies at the origin of its success. Founders of the concept store « Opening Ceremony », launched in september 2002 in New York, and creators of the eponymous label, Humberto Leon and Carol Lim are now at the helm of KENZO, aiming to inject their original energy into Parisian fashion.rnrnAt the core of their approach, there is a love for travel, art, culture and fashion that manifests in all that they do. At Opening Ceremony, they successfully combine up-and-coming brands as well as established labels, while defying the standard expectations of the moment.rnIn the image of young Kenzo Takada, who managed to cleverly upset the codes of the 70’s, this new creative duo breaks away from the expected. Driven by the environment of the 21st century, they consider the KENZO style like a game with resolutely personal rules.rnrnOriginally from Japan, Kenzo dreamed of coming to Paris. His wish became a reality in 1970 when he opened his first boutique, « Jungle Jap », located in the Galerie Vivienne in Paris’ 2nd arrondissement. Right from the beginning, he offered a different vision from the establishment of Parisian couture and the closed creative universe at that time. A visionary, and surrounded by an exciting group of friends, he anticipated a free global spirit.rnrnHailing from California and of Asian origins, Humberto Leon and Carol Lim want to take advantage of all creative aspects of the world around them. Collaborating with avant-garde artists, musician, actors, designers and many others, they have brought a unique twist with them to Paris. Their spontaneity and experience are indispensable to fashion today. Their mission at KENZO is to instill a real joy of living and convey a freshness to the brand, while at the same time continuing to surprise and shake up the ‘jungle’ of fashion.rn rnINTERVIEW :rn rnrn1/ What prompted the collaboration with the international designer KENZO ?rnBoth evian® and KENZO share a deep enthousiasm for boundless creativity. evian® felt there was an obvious connexion between our worlds, namely in the way we celebrate playfulness and the beauty of a colorful vision of life.rnrn2/ Why have you specifically chosen KENZO ?rnWe chose KENZO for its ageless spirit : like evian®, KENZO’s surrealistic universe promotes the youthful sense of wonder which lies within every one of us and overcomes the very notion of age.rnrn3/ What is the leading theme for this bottle?rnThe leading theme appeared evident for the both of us : the 2015 Limited Edition bottle is naturally playful. Its design awakens our child-like curiosity : it is not just a bottle to be seen but to be held and played with, in accordance with the “Live Young” state of mind to which evian® as always been dedicated.rnrn4/ Was it hard to agree on a conjoint design version between both brands ?rnFrom the begining KENZO wanted to apply their pattern and evian was looking for something that conveys the water transparency and playfulness. We agreed very quickly on the design, both teams had to work hard in order to convey the exact spirit embraced by evian® and KENZO. Therefore, 45 prototypes were made before we validated the definitive bottle you can now see.rnrn5/ What are the legal restrictions ?rnLegal restrictions depend on countries, we split into 4 clusters to meet legal expectations.rnrn6/ How many bottle formats did you develop this year ?rnWe developed three formats this year for this Limited Edition : 75 cl, 33 cl and PET.rn rnINTERVIEW :rn rnrn1/ KENZO is ageless and evian® Live Young? Is it a perfect match ?rnThe collaboration between evian® and KENZO is a wonderful match. evian® “Live Young” is precisely about advocating youth as a state of mind, including an exuberant creativity, an ageless sense of wonder, high-spirits and a youthful approach to the world - feelings that we strongly share. Our motto and goals at KENZO are resolutely democratic, everything we create are pieces we hope everyone will enjoy. This partnership is a great example of us collaborating on one of the most democratic products out there, water.rnrn2/ Can you tell us your concern about water ?rnKENZO is entirely committed to nature and its preservation, as it is absolutely necessary to the development of human life. Our ongoing ‘No Fish No Nothing’ campaign, designed to fund the Blue Marine Foundation’s actions to save the oceans and its marine life, shows how much we have always been dedicated to this cause. Indeed, overfishing is deeply disturbing the course of nature, which is why we decided to take action and develop the partnership. So far we have had huge results and awareness across the globe. We hope to continue the project for years to come.rnrn3/ What did you try to convey by partnering with evian® ?rnBy partnering with evian®, we take KENZO’s playful spirit and merge it with that of a global company who’s inherent message is that of life, wellbeing and healthy living. We are always trying to convey how we feel young at heart in our collections. In creating glass bottles, this partnership also allows us to join forces in our shared causes, as we like to do as much as we reasonably can to promote sustainable development. KENZO and evian® are also French companies, and we’re proud of that. We wanted to share the French appreciation for life and fun with the world.rnrn4/ Why choosing the broken floor pattern ?rnThe broken-floor pattern is the perfect illustration for the bottle as it both symbolizes our current identity and magnifies the water by altering the notions of perspectives. The pattern is also a smart reference to the mountains, where evian®’s water takes its source. The violet lines representing the mountains and the lime line, a stream.rnrn5/ How did you get into the fashion business ?rnWe have always been somewhat exposed to fashion. Humberto’s mother was a sewer in a garment factory and Carol’s mother designed jewelry. It’s something we have been around since we were young.rnrn6/ How would you summarize the brand in a nutshell? What is KENZO about ?rnA creative jungle. Playful. Fresh. Exciting. Inviting. A borderless culture.rnrn7/ Why did you want to work at KENZO ?rnWe had always admired the brand Kenzo Takada founded in 1970 and knew it from vintage shopping and obsessively reading fashion magazines. Taking on this challenge excited us and we have been creatively stimulated ever since.rnrn8/ Where do you find your inspiration ?rnWe find it everywhere. We’re obsessed with all culture, from films to art and music to just seeing kids hanging out on the street all over the world.rnrn9/ You have always worked as a duo and enjoyed it. In which ways do you complement each other ?rnWe have worked together for so long that at this point everything runs seamlessly between us. When one of us is working on a specific project, the other is perfectly capable to manage whatever is happening congruously. We know each other inside out and know what the other is thinking, so it makes for a very easy partnership.rnrn10/ What advice would you give to a young fashion designer ?rnStay true to yourself, never give up and always have fun with whatever you’re doing.


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