Famous Japanese fashion pioneer Hanae Mori has died at the age of 96. The designer, also known as “Madame Butterfly” because of her characteristic butterfly motifs, died of old age at her home in Tokyo on August 11, her office announced on Thursday, according to Japanese media.
First Japanese woman as a haute couture designer
In 1977, Mori became the first Japanese woman to join the elite circle of Parisian haute couture designers. Among the customers of her luxurious, handcrafted creations were the US first lady Nancy Reagan, the US actress and Oscar winner Grace Kelly and countless members of Japanese high society.
Mori also designed a white dress for the former Japanese emperor’s wife Masako, which she wore during a wedding parade in 1993. She also created costumes for hundreds of Japanese films in the 1950s. In Japanese society, which is still male-dominated, Mori was one of the very few women in her country to run an international company.
Born in Shimane Prefecture, western Japan, in 1926, she moved to Tokyo with her family and graduated from Tokyo Woman’s Christian University. After opening her first studio in Tokyo’s Shinjuku district at the age of 25, she caused a stir in 1965 with her first fashion show abroad under the theme “East Meets West” – the East meets the West – in New York, where she incorporated kimono designs into her clothing collection.
Japanese fashion greats like Issey Miyake, who died a few days ago, followed her path. In 2004, she closed her Paris atelier after her last couture show, but Hanae Mori’s boutiques in Tokyo remain open. Her fragrances are also sold worldwide. (dpa)