I suddenly realised that I should change my approach and make my dresses help a woman stand out,' she said, according to the Washington Post.Įast Meets WestIn 1965, Mori unveiled her first collection abroad, in New York, under the theme 'East Meets West'. 'The whole Japanese concept of beauty is based on concealment. When she stepped into Chanel's studio the iconic designer suggested she wear something in bright orange to contrast with her black hair. It turned out to be an inspirational encounter. 'This was a kind of turning point for me,' she once said of the trips in the early 1960s, during which she met Coco Chanel in Paris. She opened her first atelier above a noodle shop in Tokyo, and came to specialise in dressing the stars of the silver screen.Īs Japan's postwar economy grew, so did her business, which she ran with her husband-a textile executive who encouraged her to visit Paris and New York when the arrival of television made the film industry less profitable. 'Fashion is something that pushes you, gives you courage to spread your wings and allows you to have adventures,' she said.Įncounter with ChanelBorn in 1926 in a rural corner of western Japan, Mori studied literature at Tokyo Women's Christian University before turning her hand to design. In January, the designer summed up her feelings toward the industry in a special column for Japan's Yomiuri Shimbun daily. 'When humans work with their hands, their creativity expands,' Mori told AFP during a 2006 retrospective in Tokyo, where a robot modelled a replica of her classic 'Chrysanthemum Pyjamas'-a kimono-like robe made from hot-pink chiffon and silk.

The exclusive French club sets exacting standards for their hand-crafted, and extremely expensive, garments. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.The designer's trailblazing career took her from Tokyo, where she started out making costumes for cinema, to New York and Paris - and in 1977 her label became the first Asian fashion house to join the rarefied ranks of haute couture. A public memorial service may be held, but details are undecided. Her grandchildren Izumi Mori and Hikari Mori are fashion models. She is survived by two sons, who have their own business, a daughter, seven grandchildren, and several great-grandchildren, the Hanae Mori office said. In 2002, she was awarded the Legion of Honor from the French government.

She also designed for the opera, including “Madame Butterfly” in Milan in 1985, and the Noh theater. The elaborate costumes she designed for singer Hibari Misora are also well-known among fashion buffs. Reputed for infusing Japanese elements inspired by the kimono, Mori designed costumes for hundreds of Japanese films, in the 1950s and 1960s, dressing star actresses like Mie Kitahara, Sayuri Yoshinaga and Shima Iwashita, in some of the most renowned cinematic pieces the era produced. She opened her Paris studio in 1977 and built an international business that extended to perfumes, handbags and publishing as well as fashion. Her first New York show, held in 1965, was acclaimed as “East meets West.” She opened her studio in 1951 and was a pioneer of a generation of Japanese designers who became globally prominent. Her umbrellas and scarves, often decked with colorful butterflies, were a status symbol with working women. With her motto, “You feel decent, no matter where in the world you wear them,” Mori wanted to give confidence and dignity to those wearing her designs. The uniforms were not flamboyant like her runway designs, but tastefully professional, appropriate for their roles. Mori also designed uniforms for Japan Airlines flight attendants, bank clerks, high school students and the Japanese team at the Barcelona Olympics.

She had been examined by a doctor at her home, but no specific cause of death was given.Įmpress Masako wore a Hanae Mori wedding gown adorned with rose-petal patterns when she married Emperor Naruhito, then the crown prince, in 1993. 11, a few days after developing a mild fever, according to the Hanae Mori Office. Mori symbolized the rise of Japan as a modern, fashionable nation and the rise of the working woman. TOKYO (AP) - Designer Hanae Mori, known for her elegant signature butterfly motifs, numerous cinema fashions and the wedding gown of Japan’s empress, has died, her office said Thursday.

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