Japanese designer, Kenzo dies at 81 after Covid-19-related complications.

“Kenzo Takada died on Sunday October 4, 2020 at the American Hospital of Neuilly-sur-Seine from the Covid-19 suites”, announced a spokesperson for the Japanese designer in a press release published today, in full Parisian Fashion Week.

“It is with immense sadness that Kenzo learned of the disappearance of its founder, Kenzo Takada” took over the label on his social accounts. “For half a century, Mr. Takada has been an iconic figure in the fashion industry, infusing his creativity and sense of color into the world. Today, his optimism, his way of life and his generosity continue to be pillars of our house. “

Arrived in Paris in the sixties, Kenzo Takada presented his first collection in the seventies before diversifying with a male line then perfumes in the course of the eighties.

Famous for his prints, the designer – born in 1939 in Himeji near Osaka – left the fashion world in 1999, six years after handing over his eponymous house to luxury group LVMH. Kenzo Takada, 81, was now dedicated to one-off projects and lifestyle collaborations. In January, he launched K3, a brand dedicated to the art of living.