Hanae Mori, a Japanese fashion designer who gained entry into the exclusive world of Parisian haute couture, passed away at home in Tokyo on Thursday at the age of 96, according to Japanese media.
Fashion designer Hanae mori death
Hanae Mori, a 96-year-old Japanese fashion designer, passed away.
Her team announced on Thursday, August 18, that she had passed away on August 11 at her home in Tokyo, officially confirming her passing. The reason of death has not been made public.
Fashion designer Hanae mori Cause of death
Hanae Mori, a post-World War II Japanese couturier who built a $500 million fashion brand that promoted East-West fashion and represented the growth of postwar Japan, passed away on August 11 at her home in Tokyo. She was 96.
On Thursday, her office announced the death without providing a cause. She reportedly became unwell two days before to passing away.
Who was Hanae mori?
Mori, a designer who was raised in rural Shimane Prefecture in western Japan, was born in 1926 and attended Tokyo Women’s Christian University to study literature. After she established her first atelier in Tokyo, located above a noodle shop, she began specialising in designs for movie actors.
Because of her distinctive pattern, Mori was given the moniker “Madame Butterfly.” She was also recognised as a trailblazer for women in Japan and a symbol of the country’s evolving reputation as a sophisticated, fashionable nation.
Career of Hanae mori
She created outfits for Grace Kelly and Nancy Reagan in addition to the wedding dress worn by Masako, the reigning Japanese monarch.
From Tokyo, where she began by creating costumes for movies, her work carried her to New York and Paris. Her brand joined the exclusive ranks of haute couture in 1977, making it the first Asian fashion house to do so.
Her global empire grew to include handbags, publishing, and perfumes, and her scarves and umbrellas—often adorned with vibrant butterflies—became a status symbol among working women.
In the 1960s, when her business partner and husband, a textile executive, pushed her to try her luck in the fashion capitals of Paris and New York, her rapidly expanding company paralleled the lightning-quick pace of Japan’s postwar economic expansion.
She referred to those travels, which included a chance encounter with Coco Chanel at her Parisian atelier, as “a kind of turning point for me.”
She should wear something bright orange, the French fashion designer advised, to contrast with her black hair.
In an interview with the Washington Post, Mori described the conversation and added that “the whole Japanese sense of beauty is predicated on concealing.” “I instantly saw that I needed to alter my strategy and make my gowns work to make a woman stand out.”
Mori debuted her first collection outside of Japan in New York in 1965 with the “East Meets West” concept. She incorporates western design elements into traditional motifs like cranes and cherry blossoms as well as her signature butterflies.
She designed theatrical costumes for “Madame Butterfly” at La Scala in Milan in 1985, and she exhibited her collections for many years in Japan and overseas until retiring in 2004.
Mori created the outfits for the Japanese squad at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics and the flight attendants for Japan Airlines by fusing traditional Japanese kimonos with dresses.
She is best known in Japan for creating Masako’s white wedding dress, which was embellished with rose petals, for her 1993 nuptials to the country’s reigning prince, Naruhito. In the 1950s and 1960s, she also designed costumes for numerous Japanese films, and later, for Noh and Kabuki performances.
Despite her artistic endeavours, Mori developed into a formidable businesswoman – rare in Japan – and in 1986 she became the organization’s first female member.
She recalled that she was never asked out with her husband’s friends in the early years of their marriage. According to the Kyodo news agency, she claimed that Japan was a country for guys. I aspired to stand out.
Achievements of Hanae mori
The Japanese government gave Mori official recognition for her accomplishments by giving her the Medal with Purple Ribbon in 1988 in honour of her contribution to art. She received the Legion of Honor, France’s highest honour, in 2002 while holding the officer rank.
“She was a fashion pioneer in Japan. She helped define what it meant to be a designer at a period when the business was still developing, according to fashion curator and scholar Akiko Fukai, who spoke to Kyodo.
She was acknowledged on a global scale since she was the first Japanese person to be designated as a haute couture designer in Paris, the center of the fashion industry. She made a significant impression.
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Early life of Hanae mori
According to her office, Mori is survived by two sons, a daughter, seven grandchildren, and a number of great-grandchildren. In 1996, her husband Ken Mori passed away.
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