In the winter of 1964, when Japan was still celebrating its first Tokyo Olympics, Kenzo Takada slipped off on a six-week-long boat trip to France. At the age of 25, the young designer had already had some success on his home ground, including winning the 1961 Soen Award and a designer position at the Sanai department store.
Inspired by the emerging haute couture designers of that time, such as Yves Saint Laurent and Karl Lagerfeld, he chose to move to France, becoming one of the first Japanese designers to settle in Paris.
It wasn't easy. He had to overcome what he describes as prejudices held against Asians in the creative industry at the time, but he gradually gained attention and built a reputation by showing his sketchbooks to department stores, fashion journalists and galleries, eventually opening his own small boutique in 1970. Shortly after debuting his first women's collection, Takada's kimono-inspired silhouettes combined with vivid floral motifs spread like wildfire from Paris to New York and Tokyo. His brand, Kenzo, expanded into multiple lines in the 1980s — starting with a men's collection then a children's line, denim and perfumes. Then in 1993, Kenzo was acquired by LVMH and Takada left his label on its 30th anniversary in 1999.