(Tokyo) Japanese fashion designer Hanae Mori, known for her elegant butterfly designs, fashions she inspired in movies and the Empress of Japan’s wedding dress, has died aged 96. She died at her home in Tokyo on August 11, days after suffering a mild fever, according to her office. The cause of his death was not specified.
Posted at 9:23 a.m.
A high fashion personality, Mori symbolized the rise of Japan as a modern nation and a working woman.
Empress Masako wore a Hanae Mori wedding dress adorned with rose petal designs when she married Emperor Naruhito, then crown prince, in 1993.
Mori also designed uniforms for flight attendants, bank employees, high school students, and the Japanese team at the Barcelona Olympics. The uniforms weren’t flamboyant like what his models wore in the limelight, but they were tasteful, professional, and appropriate to their roles.
With his motto: “You feel good no matter where you wear them”, Mori wanted to give confidence and dignity to those who wore his creations. Her umbrellas and scarves, often adorned with colorful butterflies, were a symbol of the career woman.
Hanae Mori opened her studio in 1951 and pioneered a generation of leading Japanese designers in the fashion industry. His first show in New York, held in 1965, was acclaimed as East meets West.
She opened her Paris studio in 1977 and has built an international business that spans from fashion to perfumes, handbags and publishing.
Renowned for infusing Japanese elements inspired by the kimono, Mori designed costumes for hundreds of Japanese films, in the 1950s and 1960s. She dressed star actresses like Mie Kitahara, Sayuri Yoshinaga and Shima Iwashita, in some of the pieces the most famous cinematographic films of the time.
The elaborate costumes she designed for singer Hibari Misora are also well known to fashion lovers. She also designed for opera, including Madame Butterfly in Milan in 1985, and the Noh theatre. In 2002, Hanae Mori received the Legion of Honor from the French government.
She is survived by two sons, who have their own business, a daughter, seven grandchildren and several great-grandchildren, according to Hanae Mori’s office. Her husband Ken Mori died in 1996. Her grandchildren Izumi Mori and Hikari Mori are models.
A private funeral service was held with the family. A public memorial service may be held, but details are uncertain.