Kenzo, the fashion brand owned by French luxury group LVMH, has chosen Filipe Oliveira
Baptista as the new creative director, starting to guide the Maison from July 1st.
Baptista has been the creative director of Lacoste for 8 years. During these years the brand
surpassed €2 billion in revenue.
Born in Portugal and based in Paris, Baptista graduated from Kingston University in 1997 and
started to move his first steps in the fashion world by working as a designer for MaxMara,
Christophe Lemaire and Cerruti, until he arrived at Lacoste in 2010.
In 2003 he won the Hyères International Fashion and Photography Festival prize, Andam and
LVMH prizes.
In 2005 he stepped in the Haute Couture world, for which he showed a second time in Shangai two
years later. In 2009 he debuted with his first Accessories and RTW lines at the Paris Fashion Week.
Kenzo’s choice is therefore a well-thought one, considering Lacoste’s rise in revenues and an
artistic vision which is marked not only by his previous experiences as a fashion designer but also
by photography and drawing, two disciplines that could enrich Kenzo’s culture.
As Kenzo’s CEO Sylvie Colin has stated: “His innovative and modern creative vision and
well-rounded artistic approach will enable Kenzo to reach its full potential while respecting its unique heritage.”
words Ludovica Mucci