Under the Kenzo Sun
An ancient Japanese folklore is brought up to date and shot through with girl-power and grit in Sun to Sun, a stylish new film from creative duo Partel Oliva. The short was produced to celebrate Kenzo’s 2016 Pre-fall collection—itself informed by Japanese subcultures and mysticism.
“The collection was the starting point,” explains Partel Oliva. “It included references to Japanese subcultures—specifically bosozoku and sukeban gangs—but also a very naïve, soft, tender vision of adolescent life.”
Sun to Sun modernizes the familiar fairytale of MomotarÅ, a boy born from a peach who goes on to slay demons, and recasts him as the female Momoko. Alongside a cast of women (young and old; all outfitted exquisitely in Kenzo) Momoko is seen traversing suburban and city streets on her white motorbike. At the film’s end, she and her crew morph into anime characters and, quite literally, drive off into the sunrise.
“MomotarÅ is a historical construct; the character and his story move with the times,” the duo continues. “He’s been a lazy, mercurial child, a nationalistic spokesman during World War II, a figure of protection and confidence in more recent times. Our Momoko is similarly a reflection of our current moment: difficult to pin down, with motivations unclear.”
FOR MORE ON KENZO’S PRE-FALL COLLECTION, VISIT THE LABEL’S WEBSITE.
