Kenzo Fall 2025 Ad Campaign

Review of Kenzo Fall 2025 Ad Campaign by Creative Director Lina Kutsovskaya of BeGOOD Studios with Photographer Bruce Gilden with models Aina Magraner, Ashley Lauren, & Cole Mohr

Nigo’s Fall 2025 Kenzo campaign, shot by street-photography icon Bruce Gilden, attempts to capture the pulse of New York with all the chaos, contrast, and flashbulb grit the city has to offer. But somewhere between the cartoon bunnies, plush-texture outerwear, and cheeky lingerie silhouettes, Kenzo’s soul gets lost in the crosswalk.

The campaign’s concept—two characters on a cross-town journey—should have been a fertile setup for narrative expression, but what unfolds feels closer to caricature than character. “Lucky Me! Lucky You!” cartoon tees, exaggerated hip-hop denim, and fuzzy pink coats clash with the house’s historically refined codes. The youthful provocation lands somewhere between Etsy-core irony and early-2000s streetwear cosplay, not a coherent evolution of the Maison’s roots.

Bruce Gilden’s high-flash photography is always unmistakably raw, but here it magnifies the campaign’s shortcomings: hard edges without elegance, attitude without authenticity. The cast, mostly glowering down Gilden’s lens, feel directed more by meme culture than Maison culture.

The press release does its best to anchor the chaos in craft: tailored tuxedos with shawl lapels, kimono jackets in soft neutrals, shirred Kenzo Kumo bags with ribbon bows. But in execution, these details are drowned out by styling decisions that prioritize quirk over quality—like kitschy garter belts worn as outerwear and bunny graphics that wouldn’t look out of place on Canal Street knockoffs.

The disappointment stings most because of what could have been. Kenzo, under Takada, was a masterclass in cross-cultural harmony and eclectic elegance. This campaign, however, feels juvenile—not just in tone but in ambition. LVMH may have the resources, but without a clearer commitment to craft, culture, and coherence, Kenzo risks becoming a house trading on nostalgia rather than building a lasting legacy.