While its men’s and women’s collections remain its main focus, Kenzo has always had an interest in fusing the worlds of fashion and film. Over the years it has collaborated with directors including Akinola Davies Jr, Spike Jonze and Kahlil Joseph, as well as recently launching a film series to spotlight young filmmakers globally. For its latest project, the brand has tapped A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night (2014) director Ana Lily Amirpour to interpret its SS18 collection.
Featuring a soundtrack and a blink-and-you’d-miss-it cameo from Yeah Yeah Yeahs frontwoman and longtime friend of the designers Karen O, the film reimagines the famous male photographer scene from the 1966 cult film Blow-Up – with an unexpected twist. “The beautiful part about this is it’s two women that decided to make this film together,” said Kenzo’s Carol Lim of Amirpour and O’s partnership. “It’s an amazing artistic endeavour and a conversation between two women.”
In a continuation of its diverse SS18 show – that featured all-Asian models – the film also features majority Asian cast including model and actress Kiko Mizuhara. “We felt like it would be really beautiful and poetic to cast a full Asian cast and celebrate the heritage of the brand,” designer Humberto Leon told us backstage after the show.
As well as her cameo role as the photographer’s assistant, O also wrote the film’s soundtrack – entitled “Yo! My Saint” and available digitally from today. “For the music, I immediately wanted to do melodramatic and romantic,” she said. “All the good stuff that’s in any Korean soap opera.”
In addition, there will be a limited run of two different styles of vinyl available from both Karen O and Kenzo’s websites on January 22 – following Kenzo’s AW18 show on January 21 at 8pm.
Watch the film below:
