For Fall 2026, Kenzo returned to a place of origin. The house welcomed guests into the former residence of its founder, Kenzo Takada, situating the season within the lived space that once shaped the Maison’s creative vision. Under the direction of Nigo, Fall 2026 is framed as a homecoming. The collection revisits the foundational dialogue between French and Japanese aesthetics that defined Kenzo from its inception, while extending that exchange through Nigo’s own visual language. Like Takada before him, Nigo approaches fashion as a meeting point of cultures, codes, and archetypes.

Workwear anchors the collection, filtered through references to Americana and global tailoring traditions. Varsity graphics and flannel cowboy shirts appear alongside Chinese pankou fastenings, elevated Italian tailoring, and kimono-inspired construction. These elements are presented as coexistence, reinforcing Kenzo’s long-standing embrace of hybridity.

Courtesy of Kenzo

Visual play remains central throughout the season. Two-tone neo-tailoring, checkerboard knits, and bi- and tri-colour striping create rhythm and movement, while archival motifs are revisited. The tiger re-emerges from the 1980s Kenzo Jungle, and the 1986 Kite bag is replicated and evolved into contemporary shoulder and tote forms. The letter “K,” drawn from the archive, becomes a recurring varsity motif across t-shirts, jackets, and cardigans, alongside a new Kenzogram pattern interpreted across denim, nylon, jersey, knitwear, and belts.

A dedicated library room within the house presents a curated selection from the Kenzo archive. Sketches, editorials, and invitations trace Takada’s creative evolution from the founding of the Maison in 1970 through the late 1990s. Key garments include a men’s quilted jacket from Fall Winter 1983 and a woman’s embroidered jacket from Fall Winter 1987. Together, they highlight aesthetic codes that remain generative today, from the interplay of geometric and figurative motifs to Americana-inflected iconography and expressive silhouettes.

Courtesy of Kenzo

The setting itself deepens the collection’s narrative. Located in the Bastille district, the 1,600 square metre house was designed by Kenzo Takada and architect Xavier de Castella and completed in the early 1990s. Conceived as an “oasis house,” it functioned as both private sanctuary and creative hub, hosting meditation, photoshoots, showrooms, and gatherings. Drawing inspiration from Takada’s father’s teahouse in Himeji, the home integrates tatami mats, shoji doors, a tea ceremony space, and a Japanese garden with a koi pond. Takada once meditated in a specific spot facing the water, a ritual Nigo reenacted during his first visit.

Updated by architect Kengo Kuma in 2018 and 2019, the house remains a physical embodiment of the Maison’s founding values. The presentation extended beyond clothing through a bespoke café moment by Télescope, Nigo’s favourite Paris coffee shop. Using the designer’s preferred coffee filter, the menu recreated his daily routine between home and the Kenzo atelier, with offerings including matcha cookies, a shiso-accented ham sandwich, and goat cheese wrapped in nori with ume.

Courtesy of Kenzo