Paris – At Kenzo’s autumn/winter 2014 womenswear show, models walked in front of a mirrored backdrop and a contorted clay head statue, designed to be unnerving and setting the scene for a slightly dark, emotion-rigged catwalk.
Kenzo’s creative directors Humberto Leon and Carol Lim worked with film director David Lynch on the catwalk set, the final in a seasonal trilogy after pre-collection and menswear.
Lynch explained his set inspiration to Dazed Digital: ‘I wanted to try and get a different feel for a runway show, having mystery and emotion swimming together.’ The disturbing, apparently screaming, clay head as a backdrop, coupled with the distorting hall-of-mirrors reflections, resulted in a disturbing, dystopian vision in which models looked lost and could have come straight from Lynch’s seminal, dream-like 90s tv series Twin Peaks.
The collaboration is a good example of brands and creatives exploring dystopian fantasies and extreme emotional scenarios that push the boundaries of what consumers consider normal. For more, book a place at The Polarity Paradox Trend Briefing event.