Fashion legend Kenzo Takada, in last interview he gave, looks back on his remarkable journey
- Takada, the first truly global fashion designer, reviewed his career, from arriving in Paris in 1965 to his last catwalk show in 1999
- Our interview coincided with the launch of a book that charts his life through sketches, photos and memories
The death of Japanese-French designer Kenzo Takada, following an infection with the coronavirus, happened smack in the middle of Paris Fashion Week, where the designer had long shown his vibrant collections before retiring in 1999.
This year, the event was toned down due to social distancing measures taken in the French capital; only a smattering of shows have taken place and most international editors and buyers couldn’t travel.
Last year, also during Paris Fashion Week, the Post interviewed the late Japanese designer at his apartment in the heart of the Left Bank of Paris. It was on the occasion of his 80th birthday and the publication of a retrospective book about his remarkable career.
In what was the last in-depth interview Takada gave before his death, the designer reminisced about his early days as a young man in Paris and his rare success as an Asian designer who rose to the top echelons of French – and global – fashion.
Titled simply Kenzo Takada, the book is the brainchild of Paris-based Japanese lifestyle writer Kazuo Masui, a long-time friend of the designer – a pioneer whose mishmash of Eastern and Western elements earned him a global fan base.