KENZO

Company History

The House of KENZO was founded in Paris in 1970 by Takada Kenzo. Kenzo, a native of Himeiji, Japan, attended Tokyo’s prestigious Bunka Fashion College as one of its first male students before making the move from Tokyo to Paris, where he opened his first boutique, “Jungle Jap.” He surprised the fashion world with his originality and the apparent celebration of diverse cultures, nature and colors in his designs.

Following his success in the 1970s, he launched a series of new collections for men, women and children before creating KENZO PARFUMS in 1987 and launching his first women’s fragrance in 1988, “ça sent beau,” which was an immediate success. Since 1988, KENZO PARFUMS has been the creator of some of the most groundbreaking fragrances of the past decades, such as Flower by Kenzo, Kenzo Amour, L’eau par Kenzo, and Summer by Kenzo.
In 1993, the KENZO brand joined the LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton company.
In 1999, Takada Kenzo decided to leave the artistic direction of the KENZO brand and set out on a new journey in life. This year also celebrated Kenzo’s 30th anniversary in the industry. Odile Lobadowsky was named president and CEO of KENZO PARFUMS and in the following year, Patrick Guedj was named creative director.
The year 2000 marked the birth of FlowerbyKenzo, a fragrance that invented the scent of the poppy, and quickly became a classic in the perfume world. Since then KENZO PARFUMS continues to express the original values of the brand: attachment to nature, poetry, mixing of East and West and a playful marriage of contrasts. These elements along with the vagabond spirit of the brand are present in all forms of KENZO PARFUMS, from its magnificent installations of poppy fields around the world, to its faithful dedication to every detail of a fragrance creation.
In 2001, a skincare line, KENZOKI, was launched. Built around four Asian plants (Rice Steam, Ginger Flower, Bamboo Leaf and White Lotus), the range brought a new approach to skincare; a marriage of pleasure and efficiency.
In 2008, KENZO PARFUMS celebrated its 20th anniversary by creating a limited edition fragrance, Vintage Edition, which celebrated the 1970s, the decade in which the brand was founded.