Inside Kenzo Takada’s Japanese Oasis in the Heart of Paris
by Anna Barr
Over the years, I have heard about the mythical Kenzo Takada’s house from references in books to anecdotes from my fashion elders. It’s one of those places where you hear of its existence, noted as one of fashion’s most singular residential creations, but don’t believe it until you step inside. Tucked away off of the Bastille, concealed in the courtyard of an 18ᵗʰ‑century building and completed in 1993, this Japanese-inspired oasis was more than a residence was a lived manifesto of Takada’s vision, blending Japanese tradition, Parisian spirit, and also an enduring love story.
Kenzo began building the house in 1987 with Xavier de Castella, his partner and a French architect who was both collaborator and creative support. Their relationship sparked in the late 1970s after a chance meeting at Paloma Picasso’s birthday party. De Castella not only helped shape the house’s architecture, but he was a central presence in Kenzo’s life until his death in 1990 at just 38, a loss Takada later described as a wound that never fully healed. After his death, Kenzo Takada oversaw the completion of the house in 1993 and lived there until 2009. The two of them only shared their dream home together for less than a year.
Imagined as an “oasis house” with a lush garden punctuated by bamboo, maples, moss, and a tranquil koi pond, the residence was at also a place for rest, meditation, dinner parties, showrooms, photoshoots, and site of unforgettable gatherings. But in 2009, Takada sold the property and moved to a smaller residence, closing one chapter of his life in Paris. In 2018–2019, Kengo Kuma updated the property for its current owners, Isabelle and Olivier Chouvet, founders of The Independents.
As part of Paris Men’s Fashion Week, Kenzo returned to this architectural and emotional home. Under artistic director Nigo, the house hosted the FW26/27 menswear presentation, which included archival pieces, new designs, and a curated library of sketches and invitations charting Kenzo Takada’s evolution from his 1970 beginnings through the 1990s. The collection echoed the same cross‑cultural dialogue that shaped the house with French and Japanese codes.
Check it out below:
Rick Owens Fall/Winter 2026
IM MEN Fall/Winter 2026
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Inside Kenzo Takada’s Japanese Oasis in the Heart of Paris
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