The tiger has been Kenzo’s signature animal for years. However, as wild tiger populations continue to decline worldwide, the French label is partnering again with World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF, World Wildlife Fund in North America) to produce a ready-to-wear capsule collection to help double the number of these big cats by the end of 2022, thanks to the “Tx2” initiative.
Previous Kenzo designers Humberto Leon and Carol Lim premiered a knit sweater with a tiger graphic on it for Kenzo’s Fall 2012 collection. The motif turned out to be so successful that Jay Z, Selena Gomez and Kevin Hart were spotted wearing it.
The design duo decided to partner with WWF in 2018 on a capsule collection for wild tigers.
Although Lim and Leon left the luxury house in 2019, new creative director Felipe Oliveira Baptista is picking up the (tiger) torch with a new committed collection.
Kenzo this week unveiled a new men’s and womenswear collection in organic cotton with the big cat signature motif.
The capsule comprises T-shirts, sweatshirts, dresses and more. For each item sold, the French brand will donate $10 to the WWF Tx2 initiative to double tiger populations by 2022, the next Chinese Year of the Tiger.
Over a century ago, wild tiger populations totaled 100,000 worldwide, but plummeted to 3,200 in 2010. Various initiatives managed to increase their number to 3,900 in 2016.
The collection will start retailing on Sept 28.