“Le Monde est Beau”

Kenzo Takada

It was with sadness that we learnt the passing of Kenzo Takada due to Covid-19 complications in Paris on October 4th at the age of 81. He leaves behind him a beautiful legacy of positivity, color, and joy, bolstered by the mantra of his 1988 perfume: ‘Le Monde est Beau’ (The World is Beautiful). In current times, with the global political situation in disarray, the ongoing epidemic, and uncertainty for all, we need positive spirits like the celebrated designer more than ever.

Takado, later known simply as Kenzo, came to Paris in 1964 and was one of the first Japanese designers to achieve success in the capital. With his love of mismatched print, bold color, and jungle imagery, he opened his first jungle-themed store in 1970 taking inspiration from the Henri Rousseau painting; ‘The Dream’ (1910).

As an energetic young designer, he was instrumental in the creation of the ready-to-wear and modern runway, liberating the models from the staid number based presentations that were dominant before him. Kenzo made no secret of his love for nightlife and was one of the first to bring the party to the runway!

Selling his namesake brand to LVMH in 1999, and leaving the helm 6 years later, he remained a quintessential figure in contemporary fashion inspiring many young designers, with both his attitude and his style.

Our in-house creative team has chosen a few materials from our selection to honor Kenzo Takada, with colors and transformations that we think he would have enjoyed: ‘Le monde est beau’ indeed!

Please contact us if you are interested in a particular material.

As the days shorten and the temperatures cool down, summer is drawing to a close with flurries of rain showers as the people trickle back into their hometowns. We are preparing for la rentrée, the period that marks the end of the official summer holidays: back to school, back to work and essentially, back to reality.

After a uniquely distanced holiday season with the added unreality of masks; we are ready to dive into the ‘new normal’ and embrace reality. Here at American Supply we are focussing our material research into eco-innovative materials: materials that are both innovative and eco-friendly, and better for the world. Last month we talked of the benefits of Cork and explained why it was one of the greenest materials around, from conception to farming through to final production.

This month we present a brand new material in our library, that we are affectionately referring to as Air Noodles! Its synthetic fibers are 100% recyclable, assuring its virtuous end life, whilst it is hypo-allergenic, dust-free, contaminant-free, extraordinarily durable and non-toxic. The material has a tremendous form memory, and elasticity, with the ability to sustain weights of up to 140 kilograms repeatedly and still bounce back to shape. With its unique visual form and noodley structure created via an extrusion of thermoplastic elastomers (TPE), it has advantages reserved for both rubbery and plastic materials.

Air Noodles are used in the bedding industry due to there durability, resilience, elasticity, and form memory, though we imagine them in all manner of set-design, window backdrops, and POS applications due to there fantastically unusual form and qualities. The hand is soft and non-sticky making them also ideal for packaging or innovative, luxury soft furnishings.

Contact us to make an appointment to see our labyrinthine Air Noodles in all their noodly glory!

I don’t do fashion. I am fashion.
Gabrielle Chanel

On July 16th 2018 The Palais Galliera fashion museum in Paris closed for major refurbishment, including the renovation of its previously innaccesible vaulted basement, which once opened will double the size of the exhibition space possible. The work was generously supported by an exclusive sponsorship form the House of Chanel, so it is fitting that the grand re-opening this October 1st will see the first retrospective exhibition dedicated to Gabrielle Chanel herself, titled Gabrielle Chanel: Fashion Manifesto !

When Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Chanel opened her first boutique in Deauville in 1912, she set out to revolutionize the fashion world with her own vision, which was truly radical marking the beginning of her manifesto. Her first womenswear, incorporated the famous marinière (sailor’s top), using a mix of affordable jersey and tricot, which had only been used for men’s underwear. It was to become a recurring theme in her work, with a desire to liberate the female body from constriction and voyeurism. Aside from reappropriating menswear into her collections, she deconstructed her skirt suits by removing the shoulder pads and strictness, with darts for the bust, and worked with her couture clients to enable them to manoeuvre in their jackets with ease and without exposing their bodies. The Chanel Skirt Suit became, and still is, an iconic staple for the brand.

Two of her most famous creations, the 2.55 shoulder bag, and Chanel No.5 perfume, will be represented in the show, with No.5 given a whole room. The 2.55 is a must-have item for women the world over which when released revolutionised the way that women carried bags. By taking inspiration from army bags, Gabrielle introduced the shoulder strap to high society, giving women back their arms and hands!

She was a force to be reckoned with, and before inventing the LBD – the Little Black Dress – in 1920, Chanel vowed, while observing an audience at the opera, that she would dress all women in black. The LBD is now a staple in all wardrobes, and we couldn’t imagine life without it!

With such a rich legacy and an impact on the fashion industry that continues to this day, Gabrielle Chanel: Fashion Manifesto promises to be an exhibition not to be missed!