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Internationally acclaimed fashion designer Hanae Mori has died at the age of 96.
Yomiuri Shimbun file photo Hanae Mori
Mori died on Aug. 11 of old age, according to sources. Funeral services have already been held with close relatives.
Born in Shimane Prefecture, Mori studied dressmaking after graduating from Tokyo Woman’s Christian University and getting married. She opened her first shop in Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo, in 1951. She designed costumes for a number of movies including “Taiyo no Kisetsu” (Season of the Sun) and “Kurutta Kajitsu” (Crazed Fruit).
In 1965, Mori presented her first overseas collection in New York. Her use of fluttering butterflies, expressing traditional Japanese beauty in vivid colors, became a symbol of her brand. In 1977, Mori became the first Japanese member of La Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne, a group of designers who make high-end custom clothing.
Due to financial difficulties, her brand Hanae Mori filed in 2002 for court protection under the Civil Rehabilitation Law. However, she continued to release new lines at shows in Paris until 2004.
Mori also designed clothes that were symbolic of their era, including the current Empress’ Western-style wedding dress, the official uniforms for the Japanese team at the Barcelona Olympics, and uniforms for Japan Airlines flight attendants.
In 1996, Mori received the Order of Culture in the field of clothing design.
