Vintage 1980s Double Layer Grey Wool & Red Cotton Kimono Coat – Kenzo by Kenzo Takada

A remarkable vintage Kenzo Paris reversible long coat, dating to the Kenzo Takada era, circa 1980s, and capturing the Japanese-French designer's distinctive approach to volume, movement and cultural cross-pollination.

Cut in an enveloping, almost kimono-like cocoon silhouette, the coat offers two dramatically different personalities. One face is rendered in understated dark grey wool, with a softly textured surface and sweeping open front; reversed, it becomes an extraordinary scarlet-red cotton coat, transforming an austere outer layer into a statement piece of colour.

The generous body, dropped construction and softly curved line give the coat a sculptural quality while retaining the ease characteristic of Takada's work. Particularly striking is the contrast between the sober grey exterior and flashes of brilliant red visible at the opening and hem when worn on the wool side.

Kenzo Takada founded his Paris house in 1970 and became known for combining Japanese references with the freedom and eclecticism of Paris fashion. Period Kenzo garments frequently explored generous shapes, colour and unexpected textile combinations, and surviving 1980s examples include kimono-inspired outerwear and contrasting wool-and-cotton conructions.

A highly individual piece of 1980s Paris fashion, wearable either as an understated grey wool coat or as a vivid red statement coat — and a particularly appealing acquisition for collectors of early Kenzo and Japanese designers in Paris.