Paying homage to founder Kenzo Takada’s Japanese roots proved particularly important to creative directors Humberto Leon and Carol Lim, casting an entirely Asian line-up of models for the SS18 Kenzo show. This year’s collection fused the past and present, proving that Takada’s creative interpretations are still very much an important element of the brand.

The collection, titled ‘The Red String of Fate’, focused on two muses; Ryuichi Sakamoto, a composer, activist and dancer, known for his part in the electro group Yellow Magic Orchestra and Sayoko Yamaguchi, a supermodel and one of Takada’s original muses. Taking inspiration from Sakamoto’s ability to question society’s ideals and Yamaguchi’s ability to adapt to inspirations by mixing patterns and prints, we saw contrasting cultures, colours and styles define the catwalk.

British tailoring met Japanese sports luxe with everything from suits to pieces of baseball uniform, complete with trench belts which hung casually down the side of the trouser leg. Silhouettes were sharp shouldered and high-waisted with clashing bold colours and prints (some of which were supplied by Sakamoto himself). A neck to shin paisley combination in hues of green, purple, orange, blue and pink formed a dynamic part of the show, whilst a blue floral print jacket paired with burnt orange trousers in the same pattern left us with an important message. No matter how how far away one culture may seem from our own, diversity is something to be embraced and admired.