“We are very excited to say that this week we traveled to Florence to show the fall winter 2013 men's collection at Pitti Uomo!”, said creative directors Carol Lim and Humberto Leon on Kenzo's webzine recently.



And indeed, there was enough to be excited about! Not only did Kenzo held their runway show in Florence – instead of Paris – by presenting their Fall/Winter 2013 menswear at the Mercato Centrale on January 10, but they also introduced an innovative sales concept at the 83th edition of Pitti Immagine Uomo, taking place at Fortezza da Basso, with a so-called “Kenzo Flea Market”, selling lower priced products of the brand, such as Tiger t-shirts in eye-popping shades and canvas bags with exotic prints, next to a Kenzo-customized Italian snack-bar on wheels. Carol and Humberto even declared their love to Florence's vibrant urban settings, by including a personal “Hot Spots”-list of Florence in their Fall/Winter 2013 menswear press release.



Despite of their love for bella Italia, the designer duo payed homage to the mystical world above – to the depth of the clear blue sky, where dreams and fairy tales become true, according to Humberto Leon: “Carol and I visited a natural jungle a while ago, we wanted to take all our impressions we had there to the skies, in order to dream a little bit this season. Are there Gods up there? Are there animals who protect these Gods?” And indeed, the audience could really touch the sky! Clouds, stars and lightning bolts prints were the main theme of the collection and could be seen on two-tone varsity jackets and slightly cropped pants, while baby blue colored bouclé coats underscored the naive touch, next to mustard, bordeaux, black and white striped jumpers and pants suits, that were a particular eye-catcher.



Voluminous coats and jackets evoked the fluffiness of clouds and were paired with pitch black tailored pants for a more grounded tone. Boots and shoes were adorned with graphic lines that suggested the shape of airplanes, while the mens accessories – tie pins and fasteners – created in collaboration with Delfina Delettrez, underlined the celestial theme. Then, ancient mythology recurred with a few tougher, warrior-like silhouettes and the on-going motive of the Kenzo Tiger, reincarnated with other creatures, such as dragons and snakes. “We like the idea of an Asian warrior as a starting point for our silhouettes”, said Carol Lim backstage after the show. “It is also about the idea of protection, the idea of strength”, added Humberto, referring to the hard shells of crossbody bags, that he and Carol created in collaboration with the bag company Boblbee.



One thing is sure, with a fully packed show at the Mercate Centrale, in the very heart of the city, Florence returned its love to Kenzo! The city's major, Matteo Renzi and Florence Welch could be seen in the first rows.



- Elisabeta Tudor

