Otago Daily Times

Kenzo (81)

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JAPANESE fashion designer Kenzo Takada, better known as Kenzo, who created his label in Paris in the 1970s, died on October 4.

Takada died of complicati­ons linked to Covid19 at the American Hospital of Paris in Neuillysur­Seine, a residentia­l suburb on the western outskirts of the capital, his spokesman said.

Known for his colourful motifs and original silhouette­s, which mixed inspiratio­ns from Japan, such as the kimono, with other cuts, Takada also branched into perfumes and skincare lines, helping his business boom.

He had retired from his eponymous label several decades ago, however, after selling it to LVMH, the world’s biggest luxury group, in the early 1990s.

Takada maintained close links to the world of fashion but explored other areas of design, including furniture.

Confirming his death in a statement on Instagram, the Kenzo brand paid tribute to his use of colour, and said the label was still inspired by his zest for life and optimism.

Takada, who has described how he first reached France via a long boat journey in the mid1960s, was known as an avid traveller, and played with a mix of cultural inspiratio­ns in his designs.

A New York Times review of one of Takada’s early fashion shows in 1973 hailed an “ethnic mishmash that was joyous and full of fun”, describing him as “one of the most imaginativ­e designers in the world”.

Takada, who has also designed opera costumes, started out with a small store in Paris before soon reaching star status, and remained in his adopted city.

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

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

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