Fashion statement: Kenzo makes Brandstanding film

Los Angeles – Paris-based brand Kenzo continues to promote the message that was scrawled across its spring/summer 2014 line – no fish, no nothing – with its latest fashion film, Dawn in Luxor, by Los Angeles director Kahlil Joseph.

Make no mistake, this is not a traditional fashion film. The message about over-fishing is subtle, as are the displays of Kenzo clothing. Designers Carol Lim and Humberto Leon spent their youth in Los Angeles and this was the inspiration behind the collection. But instead of a montage of images of palm trees and sunny days, the film is non-linear and hazy, and features a range of visually stunning imagery that adds intrigue and mystery. At one point, a man enters a Jamaican café asking for the catch of the day. The response is simply put: ‘no fish’.

Regardless of whether Kenzo and Joseph are imagining a world without fish in this video, the fashion film makes a statement beyond highlighting the collection. It makes viewers slightly uncomfortable and leaves them with more questions than answers. It is Frustration Marketing suited to The Polarity Paradox.