Japanese Fashion Designer Hanae Mori Dies
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Hanae Mori, a Japanese fashion designer known as one of only two Japanese women to have presented her collections on the runways of Paris and New York, and the first Asian woman to be admitted as an official haute couture design house by the Fédération française de la couture in France, died on August 11. She was 96.
Mori founded her brand in 1951 in Tokyo and built a multimillion-dollar fashion business. Her work was synonymous with upscale subtle designs that blended traditional Japanese fabrics with Western-style clothing, attracting a client base spanning from ambassador’s wives to Japan’s Empress Masako, then the crown princess.
Furthermore, Mori designed uniforms for the flight attendants of Japan Air Lines, the Japanese Delegation to the Barcelona Olympics, and the Japanese Delegation to the Lillehammer Olympics. She also had the patronage of Hillary Clinton, Nancy Reagan, Renata Tebaldi and more.
The butterfly became the symbol of the house, garnering her the nickname “Madame Butterfly” in Western media.
At its peak, the Hanae Mori brand spanned couture, with a studio in Paris; ready-to-wear for women, men and children; accessories, eyewear and home furnishings.
She also launched a perfume line in the U.S. in 1996 through International Cosmetics & Perfumes Inc., which held the worldwide license to her scents.
Mori is survived by two sons, who are active in her fashion business. Her husband Ken Mori died in 1996. Her grandchildren Izumi Mori and Hikari Mori are fashion models.
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Earlier this month, we also lost another iconic Japanese fashion designer—Issey Miyake.
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