Japanese fashion designer Hanae Mori dies at 96

Japanese fashion designer Hanae Mori, known as 'Madame Butterfly' for her signature butterfly motifs, died on August 11, 2022, in Tokyo at age 96. Born in 1926 in Shimane Prefecture, she opened her first atelier in Tokyo in the 1950s, designing costumes for Japanese films and uniforms for Japan Airlines. Inspired by a visit to Coco Chanel's boutique in Paris in the 1960s, she launched her first New York show 'East Meets West' in 1965, blending Japanese tradition with Western style. In 1977, she opened a haute couture showroom on Avenue Montaigne in Paris and became the first Asian member of the Chambre syndicale de la couture parisienne. Her brand, bolstered by her husband Ken Mori's business guidance, expanded to about 20 companies worldwide with $500 million in revenue. She dressed Grace Kelly, Hillary Clinton, and designed the wedding dress for Empress Masako of Japan. She also created costumes for Madama Butterfly at La Scala in 1985, uniforms for Japan's Olympic teams in 1992 and 1994, received a Japanese Medal of Honor in 1988, and the French Legion of Honour in 1989. Her last show was in Paris in the early 2000s; her brand continues through a fragrance line.