French fashion label Kenzo is bringing its pre-fall 2016 collection to life through a modernized Japanese folk tale.
“Sun to Sun” reimagines the story of Momotarō, a boy born in a peach and raised by an elderly couple who goes on to become a hero with help from animal friends, shifting the narrative with a female protagonist and her posse of motorcyclists. Kenzo’s pre-fall collection was inspired by Japan, making this campaign film a fitting approach to market this season’s fashions.
“Kenzo’s video is an extension of their collection, which plays on the androgyny of the pieces,” said Romey Louangvilay, chief curator and director of digital marketing at Curate Directive, New York. “The collection plays around with traditional female symbols like flowers while having structure to them, and the video does the same thing.
“In the video, Momotaro grows ambiguous. Through various visuals, Momoko is soft and hard, good and bad, dreamy and forceful,” he said. “She’s neither one or the other, which is a reflection of how the Kenzo collection is.
“They did a good job at bringing that collection to life in a video format that plays an homage to Japanese folklore.”
While the characters in Sun to Sun wear Kenzo fashions, the film serves first as a piece of entertainment. Once consumers’ interest is piqued, the brand gives options on its Web site to buy the collection.
“The video primarily would be categorizes as entertainment,” Mr. Louangvilay said. “While the video is inspired by Japanese folklore and the brand, itself, is rooted in Japanese and Asian influencers, the video doesn’t exude an overtly promotional tone that other brands have.
“If you didn’t know that a brand made the video, you would think it was a modernized storytelling of the Japanese folklore.”
(Source: Luxury Daily )