Interior design of the private house Kenzo Takada

Stylist: Eee (Yee) Photo: Ivan Tereshchenko (Ivan Tereshchenko)Interior design of a private houseKenzo Takada alwayswent his own way. At the age of 19, in defiance of his parents, he entered the famous Tokyo fashion school Bunkafukuso Gakuin. Kenzo was not at all embarrassed by the fact that his class consisted of only girls who were always giggling at the future "tailor". Time put everything in its place. Just two years later, the former mockers were giving Kenzo respectful bows, congratulating him on his victory at the prestigious Soen competition. In 1965, he moved to France, and in 1970 he became the first Japanese in Paris to produce clothes (and since 1988, perfume) under his own name. In 1993, the House of Kenzo became part of the LVMH group of companies, uniting such brands as Dior, Louis Vuitton, Christian Lacroix, CОline, Givenchy. In 1999, Takada once again turned off the beaten path - he retired and went on a three-year journey around the world. After a break, the designer returned in a new role. He founded his own brand GOKAN KOBO (translated from Japanese as "Workshop of the Five Senses"), where he produces furniture and home accessories.Kenzo Takada

Photo 1. The boundary between the inner and outer worlds in Kenzo's house is practically erased. Huge floor-to-ceiling windows make it absolutely transparent.
Photo 2. Living room.On the low table is an 18th-century wooden horse. The carpet is decorated with an elephant pattern (Kenzo considers it his lucky charm). By the colonnade separating the living room from the pool is the owner's beloved wooden elephant chair.
Photo 3. Art objects collected by Kenzo during his travels around the world are scattered throughout the house.

You forget that this is happening in France,barely crossing the threshold of Kenzo Takada's house, located in the Bastille district of Paris. Behind the massive doors of the 19th-century building lies a serene Japanese courtyard: a rock garden, a tea house, a pond with golden carp... And an equally serene interior in the Japanese spirit: sliding partitions made of rice paper, low tables, subdued diffused light... Having crossed the threshold, you must immediately take off your shoes. This Eastern tradition is unconditionally followed by the "Western" guests of the famous fashion designer (the entire Parisian beau monde regularly gathers at Kenzo's house). "The most European of all Japanese designers", as fashion observers call Kenzo Takada, genetically does not accept tight, form-fitting clothes. "The Japanese suffocate in such things," he says. Takada was once one of the first to introduce the fashion for sweater dresses, wide knee-length trousers, huge berets and, of course, kimono sleeves. "The body needs space. In a physical and spiritual sense," the designer commented on his clothing collections. This statement can safely be applied to his house as well - there is more than enough physical and spiritual space in it.

Photo 1. Kenzo diluted the oriental flavor of the living room with furniture from French brands.
Photo 2."Crystal and elegance are synonymous," says Kenzo Takada. "Transparent crystal is reflected in the clear lake water, giving the garden a touch of elegance and grace." The Buddha figures were made by Baccarat based on Kenzo's designs.
Photo 3. Dining room. In the company of numerous Buddha statues, Kenzo never feels lonely. Porcelain dishes and cutlery are made according to the owner's design.

In the late 1980s, Kenzo bought an abandonedfurniture factory near the Place de la Bastille and turned it into an island of serenity, harmony and peace. Situated in terraces on three levels, this complex with three internal gardens occupies about a thousand square meters. There is even a tea pavilion brought from Japan, hanging over a pond where carp are found. As a true Japanese, Kenzo cannot imagine himself outside of nature. This is probably why the clothes and perfumes released under his name are invariably decorated with floral motifs (even the bottles of Kenzo perfume are made in the form of an elegant stem). Nature is a full-fledged mistress in his house, whose architecture is inextricably linked with the garden, created in the best traditions of the Land of the Rising Sun. And they are as follows.

A real Japanese garden is not meant forwalks, but for passive contemplation of nature from a certain point. Kenzo has such points not only on the site, but also in almost every room. "For me, nature outside the window is the main source of inspiration," says the owner. "Sitting at the table in the office, swimming in the pool or basking in the jacuzzi, it is pleasant to watch the bamboo stems dancing in the wind and come up with images for new collections."

There are no brightly colored plants in a real Japanese garden,its colors are green, gray and brown. In Kenzo's case, this palette prevails not only in the landscape outside the window, but also in the interior decoration. The only room painted in rich, scorching colors was the bathroom. Its red walls contrast with the podium, in which a black jacuzzi is "sinking", more like a bowl for ritual ablutions. The atmosphere of mystery is created by a black fish flickering in the candlelight on the windowsill (it symbolizes Pisces, Kenzo's astrological sign). Incidentally, Kenzo takes symbols seriously.

Photo 1. This covered gallery connects the courtyard and the interior. In front of the semi-circular sliding door are African wooden sculptures from the Kenzo collection.
Photo 2. The color scheme in the bedroom, as well as in the bathroom, is based on three colors: black, red and natural wood. There are North American Indian headdresses on stands by the fireplace.
Photo 3. Contemplating the garden from the office window helps Kenzo come up with images for new collections.

The house is filled with art objects from his personal collection.collections: Japanese ceremonial curtains with the same fish images, mysterious African statues and hundreds of elephants - made of wood, bronze, porcelain. The owner's favorite chair (in the shape of an elephant) stands next to the window in the living room. Elephants are woven into the carpet lying on the floor, their silhouettes can be seen in numerous old engravings. You may ask, what does Japan have to do with this? Absolutely nothing. Kenzo considers elephants to be his talisman, bringing good luck. But Japan has a direct relationship with the other numerous inhabitants of this house - the Buddhas. There are seven of them in the garden alone (all made of crystal by Baccarat according to Kenzo's design). With them, the owner of the house's peace is under reliable protection. At 68, Takada is full of strength and energy. He is the absolute ruler of a small Japan in the center of Paris, lives by his own laws and worships deities sculpted according to his design. Isn't this the power of high art?

Photo 1. The interior of the bathroom is built on the contrast of scorching and black. The huge fish on the windowsill symbolizes the Kenzo zodiac sign.
Photo 2. The indoor pool is located on the border between the living room and the garden.
A photo 3. In the spacious bedroom Kenzo, there was a place for a desk and for a library. The bed is in front of the window. Thus, lying on it, the owner can observe the stems of bamboo swaying in the wind.