Kenzo Takada Japanese fashion designer dies from COVID-19

Kenzo Takada, Japanese fashion designer dies from COVID-19

Kenzo Takada, 81, Japanese fashion designer famous for creating the world-renowned Kenzo brand, has died from COVID-19 according to his spokesman.

IexclusiveNews reports that His death came 50 years after he launched his first collection in Paris.

Who is Kenzo Takada?

Takada came to France from his native Japan in 1965 by boat, landing in Marseille before making his way to Paris.

Kenzo had planned only a short stay in the city, but Paris eventually became his home.

Takada was the first Japanese designer to gain prominence in the highly-competitive Paris fashion scene.

Takada created his first collection for women in 1970, his first show for men in 1983 and his first perfume, Kenzo Kenzo, in 1988.

“Paris is mourning one of its sons today,” Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo said on Twitter on Sunday.

Kenzo who has dressed celebs such as Beyoncé and Rihanna – won the Fashion Editor Club of Japan’s prize.

Bernard Arnault, LVMH’s Chairman and CEO said in a statement that Kenzo had “infused into fashion a tone of poetic lightness and sweet freedom which inspired many designers after him”.

Chairman of France’s fashion federation, Ralph Toledano, credited Takada with contributing to writing “a new page in fashion, at the convergence of the East and the West”.

SOURCE : IexclusiveNews and AL Jazeerah