Kenzo Takada, iconic French-Japanese fashion designer, has died at age 81

Kenzo Takada, the iconic French-Japanese fashion designer famed for his jungle-infused designs and free-spirited aesthetic that channeled global travel, has died. He was 81. The family said in a statement to French media Sunday that he died from covid complications in a hospital in Neuilly-sur-Seine, near Paris. A public relations officer for his brand confirmed that he died, but did not give a cause of death.

It is with immense sadness that the KENZO fashion house has learned of the passing of its founder. For half a century, Takada has been an emblematic personality in the fashion industry, always infusing creativity and color into the world. His 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 covid pandemic.

It was only days ago that the KENZO fashion house unveiled its bee-themed collection there. Though Takada had been retired from his house since 1999 to pursue a career in art, he remains one of the most respected fixtures of high Paris fashion. Since 1993, the KENZO fashion house brand has been owned by the French luxury goods company LVMH. His amazing energy, kindness, talent, and smile were contagious, his kindred spirit will live forever.

Kenzo’s styles used bold color, clashing prints, and were inspired by travels all over the world.

Takada has, from the 1970s, infused into fashion a tone of poetic lightness and sweet freedom which inspired many designers after him. He was born on February 27th 1939, in Himeji, in the Hyogo Prefecture in Japan to hoteliers, but after reading his sisters’ fashion magazines his love of fashion began. Studying at the Bunka College of Fashion in Tokyo, he had a brief stint working in Japan, before relocating to Paris in 1965, to work as a freelance designer.

In Paris, Kenzo Takada 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. But it was lowly beginnings. His first collection at the store was made entirely out of cotton because he had little money.

But the clothes spoke for themselves and a model of Takada’s was put on the cover of Elle magazine. A short time after, pioneering shoulder forms, large armholes, dungarees, smock tent dresses, innovative shoulder shapes, and his store was featured in United States Vogue. He showed collections in New York and Tokyo in 1971. Yves Saint Laurent was an important inspiration in his work.

Takada shared Saint Laurent’s penchant for theatrics.

In 1978 and 1979, he showed in a circus tent, and it featured himself riding an elephant, and performers rode horses wearing see-through uniforms. His 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.

Takada’s signatures were of wider sleeves and arm holes, that harked to historic styles in his home continent of Asia.