The creative director returns to Kenzo&rsquo;s roots, turning his house into a feeling you can wear.

For Fall/Winter 2026, Nigo&rsquo;s Kenzo feels more like a reference board than a return. A real one. The collection opens with a simple belief he places front and center: Kenzo is freedom, color, and joy. And instead of translating that into something loud for the sake of it, he builds the season around something more intimate, almost personal: the founder&rsquo;s home.
Kenzo Takada&rsquo;s house near Bastille, created between 1988 and 1993, is a world. A wooden oasis hidden behind the Paris noise, surrounded by bamboo, cherry trees, junipers, and a koi pond. That&rsquo;s the space Nigo taps into here, not as a sentimental tribute, but as a way of grounding the brand back in its original energy.

It also loops back to Nigo&rsquo;s own story at Kenzo. Since Spring/Summer 2022, he&rsquo;s been rebuilding the house through sharp sampling, strong archives, and a very modern instinct for remixing. This season, those early Nigo-at-Kenzo codes return again&mdash;cleaner, richer, more confident&mdash;like he&rsquo;s reading his own opening chapter again, but with the full weight of the archive behind him.
The collection is built on the same cultural mix Kenzo Takada always championed: France and Japan in constant conversation. Americana sits next to Italian tailoring. Cowboy shirts get paired with Chinese-style pankou buttons. Varsity references show up with no apology. Kenzo is framed an open world where you&rsquo;re invited in, and you&rsquo;re meant to feel comfortable moving through it.
Nigo&rsquo;s strength has always been detail. A collector at heart, he treats the Kenzo archive like a living playlist. The Kenzo Jungle tiger from the 1980s comes back as a signature motif on button-downs. A vintage &ldquo;K&rdquo; from the archives spreads across t-shirts, jackets, and cardigans. Even a Spring/Summer 1994 idea&mdash;embroidered organza skirts&mdash;returns in a new form, with those floral elements migrating onto outerwear and down to the shoes.
The show plays with decades without getting stuck in any of them. There&rsquo;s a hit of &rsquo;90s neo-tailoring in two-tone combinations&mdash;deep navy against graphic Prince of Wales checks, plus stripes and bold argyle knits. Softer &rsquo;70s shades also slip in, pulled from early images of Kenzo in Paris, then sharpened by clean blues, tailored greys, bright yellow, and a confident red.
Classic menswear archetypes get tweaked through construction. Kimono-tailoring becomes more engineered, with kimono revers meeting pointed collars. Western shirts come in floral embroidery and contrast piping. Military jackets soften through lighter touches, like delicate buttons. Japanese selvedge denim stays a foundation, sometimes sun-faded for that worn-in ease. And the Kenzogram pushes forward as a modern house signature across denim, nylon, jersey, knitwear, and belts.
Accessories keep the same warm mix of playful and practical. Work boots with steel toes share space with embroidered ballerinas. Loafers and hybrid shoes blur lines between a derby and a slipper. Bags follow the same logic: reversible canvas styles with contrasting leather, plus the exact return of Kenzo&rsquo;s 1986 Kite bag, now updated in color-block leather across shoulder, tote, and charm formats.
With the collection, it really feels like Nigo understands what made Kenzo special in the first place: clothes that carry joy without trying too hard, culture without stiffness, and personality without performance. A wardrobe built to live in&mdash;run in, dance in, and take through the world.

Courtesy of Kenzo.

Nigo Brings Kenzo’s Spirit Back to Life for Fall/Winter 2026

Recommended posts for you

Hommes

Dior Puts An Edgy Spin On Elegance For Men's Fall/Winter 2026

Fashion