All Work and All Play
Review of Kenzo Fall 2025 Men’s Fashion Show
By Mark WIttmer
THE COLLECTION
THE VIBE
Playfully polished. Textural touches. Refreshed workwear.
Nigo’s Fall 2025 collection for Kenzo was accompanied with a solo performance by unconventional cellist Erik Friedlander. Framed by a window looking onto the illuminated Eiffel Tower, his experimental and poignant approach intriguingly juxtaposed a collection that felt like a playful reconsideration of Nigo’s core silhouettes for the house.
The show marks a departure from Kenzo’s typical format, which previously has seen Nigo present his men’s and women’s collections together as a unified show. With the recent appointment of a new women’s creative studio led by design director Joshua A. Bullen (who previously held the same position at Givenchy), however, the brand has separated the collections to spotlight its new direction for womenswear next month.
That tighter focus on menswear meant Nigo could really dig into the blend of Japanese Americana, workwear, and relaxed tailoring that has been the backbone of his vision at Kenzo, revitalizing these categories with an emphasis on texture and playfully reimagined details.
Preppy patch-pocket blazers were reimagined with sashiko stitching and fluffy mohair lapels and cuffs – a joyful softness that found its way across colorful coats and cardigans as well. Borrowing from a spirit of carefree childhood pattern play, bold floral and spray-paint motifs put a youthful twist on Kenzo Takada’s infamous ability to make even the loudest print into an elegant statement. Conversation-starter knitwear was a highlight. Relaxed east-meets-west tailoring gave way to classic workwear jackets that were refreshed through a bubblegum pink canvas or a dynamic diagonal herringbone. Accessories included a playful riff on “paper” lunch bags, with the smart styling completing the look with a baguette or sake bottle.
THE DIRECTION
THE WRAP UP
Chock full of super wearable pieces, the collection wisely takes the opportunity of a renewed focus on menswear to reassert Nigo’s core vision for the brand while taking it in a few playful new directions.
