Extremely curious to know the meaning and origin of Kokon To Zai, I decided to write to the KTZ team and ask for details. I was kindly informed that the words constitute the Japanese rendition of phrases like “from east to west” or “from old to new,” loosely translated as “omnipresent.”The name struck me as quite appropriate for a line of concept stores whose catalysts—Sasha Bezovski and Marjan Pejoski—have made the trek from east to west, renewing the old notions of progressive fashion wherever they go!
Currently Kokon To Zai runs three stores: two in London and one in Paris, stocking each with both popular and emerging brands like Material Boy, Raf Simons, Romain Kremer, Two Tom, and Walter Van Beirendonck, as well as their in-house labels KTZ and Marjan Pejoski.
As for the designer, Marjan first studied business in Macedonia before moving to London in 1989 where he studied jewelry design, shoe design, and fashion illustration at Westminster, Cordwainers College, and Chelsea Art School, respectively. He also earned a BA in women’s wear from Central St. Martins School of Art and Design.Marjan established his eponymous label in 2000, winning the New Generation Award of the British Fashion Council for two consecutive years. He launched his menswear collection shortly after in 2003.
Avant-garde, unconventional, and flamboyant, Marjan loves dichotomies, pitting the past against the future, old vs. new, and innocent next to sinful in all sorts of dandyesque, androgynous creations.Photos 2009 s/s collection Copyright Kokon To Zai.
