Design
March 4, 2015
Designer Nendo's Oki Sato: An Interview (Part 1)
A Space for Creation
Designer Oki Sato Interview (Part 1)
The renovation of "KENZO PARFUMS" stores in 80 countries and 250 locations, based on a new concept. For what reasons was this monumental project entrusted to nendo, led by Oki Sato? And how did the unique spatial design, embodying both KENZO and nendo, come to be? Mr. Sato himself looks back on the project with KENZO.
Text by Nanao Tamuraphoto by Jamandfix
— To begin, could you tell us how nendo, led by Oki Sato, came to take on the KENZO PARFUMS project?
We're not entirely sure ourselves (laughs). About a year ago, we suddenly received a call at the office asking, "We have this project, are you interested?" Shortly after, several French individuals and representatives from KENZO PARFUMS Japan visited our office. Among them, of course, was Patrick Guego, the Creative Director of KENZO PARFUMS.
My impression of Patrick was quite strong. Despite being the face of a global brand, he had a very casual style. His Converse sneakers, for instance, looked well-worn.
Then, when he took off his Converse to come up to the office, one of our staff members, trying to be helpful, tidied them away. Later, as he was leaving, Patrick had this indescribable look on his face, saying, "Where are my Converse?" I still can't forget that moment...
Photo by Jimmy Cohrssen
— During that meeting, was the crucial reason, or rather, why nendo was commissioned, made clear?
Apparently, they had seen nendo's furniture released by Cappellini in Italy and decided to have us handle the spatial design.
— That's quite a bold idea.
From furniture to spatial design. And specifically for nendo. We were the most surprised, honestly (laughs). To add another detail from that time, we actually thought it was a single store renovation project. But then it turned out to be a commission for 80 countries and 250 locations. We were like, "Whoa!"
— "Whoa!" (laughs)
To be serious, though it might sound strange, I think there were commonalities in our brand's origins and my own background.
KENZO, as we all know, was created by Kenzo Takada, a Japanese national, and nurtured in France. Yet, it never abandoned its Japanese aesthetic.
Similarly, I was born in Canada, raised with Japanese influences, and am now based in Tokyo. In that sense, we are both somewhat unconventional entities, and KENZO itself evolves through the fusion of such diverse influences. This was something we discussed with Patrick and the others during a casual conversation.
— In terms of the actual work, what kind of requests did Patrick have?
There was one specific theme: he wanted it to be like a nest. He explained that KENZO PARFUMS products are each highly individual and distinct, so he wanted us to conceive an image that would encompass them all. The concept was for the space itself not to be prominent, but rather to serve as a dwelling place for the products – hence the keyword 'nest'.
— How did you approach that request?
In the early stages of conceptualization, the KENZO brand logo appeared to me like branches. I thought, what if we deconstructed that logo, and imagined birds gathering those scattered branches to build a nest?
— Deconstructing a logo that everyone knows is also quite bold.
I thought so too (laughs). But the idea was approved. During the first presentation, just two weeks after our initial meeting, Patrick said, "Let's go with this!"