Kenzo names Nigo as its New Artistic Director

Nigo, the founder of A Bathing Ape, is the new artistic director of Kenzo, following Oliveria Baptistia’s departure this spring. In a statement, LVMH fashion group chairman and CEO Sidney Toledano said, “The arrival of an extremely talented Japanese designer will allow us to write a new page in the history of the house that Takada Kenzo founded. I am convinced that the creativity and innovation of Nigo as well as his attachment to the history of the house will fully express all the potential of Kenzo.”

Nigo is the first Japanese designer to helm Kenzo since Takada founded the company. Nigo is renowned for his own brand, one of Japan’s earliest streetwear labels, which launched in 1993. Bape, short for A Bathing Ape, quickly became famous for its camouflage prints, shark-graphic hoodie, and imaginative sneakers with a star and lightning bolt insignia on their sides. His lively, pop-inspired aesthetic arrived in the United States and Western Europe with the help of Pharrell, an early adopter of Bape and supporter of Nigo. The company sold a majority stake to I.T. in 2013; though Nigo departed, its global footprint is constantly expanding, with a new store in Manhattan nearby streetwear mecca Kith. Nigo also operates a new label, Human Made, and is the creative director of the Uniqlo UT collection.

“I was born in the year that Takada Kenzo san opened his first store in Paris. We both graduated from the same fashion school in Tokyo. In 1993, the year that KENZO joined the LVMH Group, I started my career in Fashion,” a statement on Kenzo’s Instagram by Nigo reads. “Kenzo san’s approach to creating originality was through his understanding of many different cultures. It is also the essence of my own philosophy of creativity. Inheriting the spirit of Kenzo san’s craftsmanship to create a new KENZO is the greatest challenge of my 30-year career, which I intend to achieve together with the team.”

In joining LVMH, Nigo reunites with his longtime friend and sometimes collaborator Virgil Abloh. When Abloh joined Louis Vuitton as its menswear creative director, he chose Nigo as his first collaborator. “He’s among the first real mentors I had in fashion,” Abloh said of Nigo in 2020. “I was fortunate over 15 years ago to have met him in Japan. He took us under his wing and showed us the ropes of how he was building the brand A Bathing Ape at the time.” With Abloh’s role growing at LVMH—the conglomerate recently purchased a majority stake in Off-White and will partner with Abloh as a sort of consultant across its portfolio—Nigo’s appointment reaffirms LVMH’s commitment to streetwear and to the Abloh model of creative direction.

Nigo’s first day as artistic director of Kenzo was this past Monday, September 20, and his first designs are expected to come later in the year. His own brand emphasizes vibrant prints, color clashes, and easy, wearable silhouettes, which is in keeping with what Carol Lim and Humberto Leon did while at Kenzo.

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Photo Credit: Everett Collection / Shutterstock.com