As of late, it seems many of fashion’s biggest players have their sights set on China. First, there was Bottega Veneta’s vibrant Beijing-bound presentation that offered exclusive releases to the Chinese market. Then, Chanel announced its long-anticipated return to China to reprise its Cruise 2024 show, set to take place in Shenzhen on November 2nd. Adding to the flock of fashion houses migrating east to The Middle Kingdom is Kenzo.

Presenting its Spring/Summer 2024 collection once more, the Japanese-Parisian fashion house found itself at Shanghai’s Port International Cruise Terminal. However, it isn’t a mere encore Kenzo’s engaged in. Rather, the house proposed new iterations of the looks it debuted in Paris earlier this year.

East meets West was the MO. The age-old concept in the sartorial subconscious was renewed and reinvigorated by none other than the mononymic designer Nigo. Not unlike the brand’s roots, Nigo’s design philosophy has been deeply embedded in the marriage of Eastern and Western cultures from the start.

Another marriage, akin to the conceptual one at play, took form in the embrace of Nigo’s vision with the codes established by the late Japanese design legend Kenzō Takada. What did this all translate to?

A dialogue of Eastern motifs articulated on Western silhouettes. Seigaiha was transposed to the Western vernacular using denim and the jacquards of knitwear. When translated, Seigaiha literally means “blue sea and waves.” Perhaps, a more fitting pattern could not have been used considering the setting of Kenzo’s Shanghai presentation, overlooking the ebb and flow of the Huangpu River.

Replying with a captivating counterargument, Western iconography pronounced on Eastern silhouettes soon took over the show. Most notable was the motif of the Kenzo rose. In an all-over print or thoughtfully placed graphics, the floral code proliferated among the runway with grace and statement. An honorable mention of this balance is an indigo coat sporting a massive Kenzo rose in full bloom.

Code-switches between the Japanese and Western wardrobes also gave way to the Judo Uwagi—this time reborn as a chore jacket. Elsewhere, diaphanous layering of translucent fabrics enveloped the female figure with archival motifs, dazzling onlookers near and far. Unforgettable, too, are blazers featuring semi-detached Kimono sleeves, collarless trench coats, and lapel-less tailored jackets that stemmed from the Japanese cutting technique.

Paying homage to Takada, the house referenced early sketches made by the late designer. In a flurry of brushstroke-like Shading, stencil-like Sketch Argyle, chalk-like Check Jacquard, and chevron-like Herringbone Jacquard, the house evoked the smart sophistication synonymous with his design legacy. It was all very reflective, yet felt incredibly contemporary.

Considering the noteworthy shift several houses have taken to, the question on many lips is, “Why China?” and, perhaps more importantly, “Why now?” Glancing back to China’s pre-Covid luxury market boom might be a good starting point. For the past decade, China’s whopping approximately 1.4 billion consumers accounted for much of the Western luxury market’s growth. Now that Covid restrictions have eased, brands are eager to reconnect with the Chinese market. And what better way to do so than to bring the frisson of the fashion circus straight to Shanghai, the Chinese capital of all things glam and luxe?

Being the authoritative figure in street style and the effortless, cool mode that he is, Nigo proceeded to send monogram-doused fits full force. Whether in red-and-white or indigo-and-white combinations or in the timeless varsity jacket decked out with a massive KP on its chest, it seemed the Japanese designer might have unlocked the code to The Middle Kingdom’s heart.