Kenzo Takada's first Paris shop, Jungle Jap, 1970: Olympic compensation, the Galerie Vivienne, jungle walls after Henri Rousseau, Marché Saint-Pierre fabric, an Elle cover
The Japanese American Citizens League took legal action over the original name.
The weekly
NewsletterWeeklyOne email a week. Every post from the week, and what didn't fit on a slide.Free. Never shared. Unsubscribe any time.
The post, as it ran
01KENZO TAKADA OPENED HIS FIRST PARIS SHOP IN 1970, IN THE GALERIE VIVIENNE, AND PAINTED IT AS A JUNGLE.
02HIS TRIP TO PARIS WAS PAID FOR BY COMPENSATION, AFTER HIS TOKYO APARTMENT WAS DEMOLISHED FOR THE 1964 OLYMPICS.
03THE JUNGLE WALLS WERE A TRIBUTE TO THE PAINTER HENRI ROUSSEAU.
04HE CALLED THE SHOP, AND HIS LABEL, JUNGLE JAP.
05HIS FIRST CLOTHES WERE CHEAP COTTONS FROM THE MARCHÉ SAINT-PIERRE, MONTMARTRE'S DISCOUNT FABRIC MARKET.
06ONE OF HIS PIECES MADE THE COVER OF ELLE. HE LATER RENAMED THE LABEL KENZO.