A world-famous designer Kenzo Takada has died of the novel pathogen on Sunday. As The Associated Press has learned, Japanese-born artist’s family has issued a statement.
Kenzo Takada was the iconic French-Japanese fashion designer whose collections were always famed for jungle-infused designs and free-spirited aesthetic. The designer passed away aged 81.
The fashion world mourns, Kenzo’s approach always has been channelling global travel and promoting openness to the world. Though Takada had been retired from his house since 1999 to pursue a career in art, Kenzo remains one of the most respected fixtures of high Paris fashion. Since 1993, the Kenzo brand has been owned by the French luxury goods company LVMH.
Kenzo’s family said in a statement to French media Sunday that Takada died from complications from COVID-19 in a hospital in Neuilly-sur-Seine, near Paris.
“It is with immense sadness that KENZO has learned of the passing of our founder,” the fashion house said in a statement. “For half a century, Mr. Takada has been an emblematic personality in the fashion industry _ always infusing creativity and color into the world,” family statement reads
Kenzo Takada, one of the brightest individuals in fashion world
Takada’s death came at the tail end of Paris Fashion Week, whose nine-day calendar is undertaking an unusual fashion season for spring-summer 2021 because of the coronavirus pandemic. It was only days ago that the Kenzo fashion house unveiled its bee-themed collection here.
“Kenzo Takada has, from the 1970s, infused into fashion a tone of poetic lightness and sweet freedom which inspired many designers after him,” said Bernard Arnault, chairman and chief executive of LVMH.
Commenting on the death of the designer, Kenzo artistic director Felipe Oliveira Baptista said that Tadada’s kindred spirit “will live forever.”
Kenzo’s styles used bold colour, clashing prints and were inspired by travels all over the world.
Takada was born in Japan but preferred to move to Paris, a fashion capital cit, in 1965, to work as a freelance designer. He took over a boutique in 1970 and crystallized his future ready-to-wear aesthetic inspired in its decoration by the jungle scenes of painter Henri Rousseau, which he merged with Asian styles. It became influential, while his collections were shown in New York and Tokyo in 1971.
Takada’s love of travel and use of ethnic influences were strong features in his three decades atop his house.
His contribution to style was significant. He championed a youthful aesthetic and unstructured form and did away with zippers to liberate silhouettes. His signatures were of wider sleeves and armholes, that harked to historic styles in his native Asia.
