The creative directors of fashion brand Kenzo talk to us about luck and their latest handbag design
Carol Lim and Humberto Leon are a special breed of designers. Having gone from retailers (who founded Opening Ceremony in 2002) to the current creative director duo at Kenzo, their fashion tastes and sensibilities have proven to go beyond just curating stores.
We met the duo on a recent visit to Hong Kong to celebrate the launch of Kenzo’s new Tali bag.
Travel has always served as an inspiration and starting point in your creations. Did the idea for the Tali bag come from a certain adventure?
Humberto: The inspiration behind the Tali bag actually came from two trips. I’m originally from Peru, and we went there on a research trip where we were so inspired by the country’s vibrant energy and use of colour.
Another trip was to India in 2012, and we subsequently launched the eye motif in 2013. There’s something very spiritual about the eye.
Was there a woman when you had in mind when you created the Tali?
Carol: We thought about a lot of different people in our community when creating this bag, and we really considered the practical elements for the Tali.
We focused on the real people in our lives—everyone from our friends to our mothers—and started the design as a bigger shape. Since then, we've built an entire family [of bags] around it.