We all know how the works of huge artists can inspire how aspiring artists work as well. This is evident in the case of Hanae Mori. When she was 34 years old, Mori met Coco Chanel by accident during a fitting, even though Mori had indeed been studying fashion in her homeland Japan, and holding the position of costume designer since the year 1951, it was her encounter with Coco Chanel that truly inspired her. A few years after that, Mori made her debut on the runway with Neiman Marcus in tow.

A decade after, Mori moved to Paris where she showed off her haute couture collection. It did not take too long for her to open her own Haute Couture Maison in the year 1977. Since then, she has become the only designer from Asia to be part of La Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisian. This is a very significant achievement for any designer because this is the governing body of the fashion industry in the whole of France.

But her transition from Japan all the way to Paris was not easy at all. She was studying at the Tokyo Christian Women’s University with Literature as her major when World War II broke out. When the war and its effects subsided, Mori went back to studying but was still unable to obtain a degree because she got married early. Her husband’s family operated a textile manufacturing business. Being a young bride with lots of time on her hands and exposure to different textiles and fabrics, Mori soon developed an interest in fashion design. In 1951, she launched her costume design venture and designed more than 700 costumes for many Japanese directors. However, it was Coco Chanel who gave her that significant drive to venture into haute couture and things have never been the same for her since.

Her more popular items include the silk mousseline dress that was produced in 1981, and the eveningwear that comes with the trademark symbol of the butterfly. She is known to have the uncanny ability of using the fabric’s natural appeal to redefine the shape of the woman wearing the fabric itself.

Mori also expanded into fragrances, with her first scent known as Hanae Mori released in 1995. Follow-ups to this scent include Hanae Mori Homme and Hanae Mori Haute Couture. We can expect to see many more new designs and fragrances from this remarkable designer.

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