Hanae Mori
Encyclopedia
Hanae Mori is a fashion designer in Japan
. She is the only Japanese woman to have presented her collections on the runways of Paris and New York, and the first Asian woman to be admitted as an official haute couture
design house by the fédération française de la couture
in France. She is also the most honored female designer in Japan. Being one of the first women to have a career in Japan, she is widely regarded as an icon of the liberated women. Her fashion house, opened in Japan in 1951, grew to become a $500 million international business by the 1990s.
's "Early Autumn
". In 1965, she successfully presented her first New York collection, "East Meets West". Twelve years later, she opened an haute couture showroom in Paris
, leading to her appointment as a member of La Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne
.
Mori designed three consecutive uniforms for the stewardesses (flight attendants) of Japan Air Lines (JAL). The first uniform was worn from 1967 to 1970; the second, which created a sensation by featuring a miniskirt
, worn from 1970 to 1977; and the third worn from 1977 to 1988.
From 1989 to 1996, Mori employed Dominique Sirop
as a designer. He became a grand couturier in 1997.
's fashionable Harajuku
neighborhood, including one in the Hotel Okura. Her fragrance division, Hanae Mori Parfums, is still active and produces a series of acclaimed fragrances including Hanae Mori Butterfly for women, HM for Men and Hanae Mori Magical Moon for women. Hanae Mori Parfums are made in France and distributed worldwide. It can be purchased throughout the United States at stores such as Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, Bloomingdale's, Macy's and Sephora.
She lives in Japan
and continues to serve as an inspiration of fellow designers such as Vivienne Tam
, Vera Wang
, Catherina Walker and numerous Asian designers such as Cho Cheng
, Toshio Goma and Jotaro Saito.
of France. In 1996, Hanae Mori was awarded the Order of Culture
by the Emperor of Japan
.
.
In addition to serving clients including Princess Grace of Monaco and Crown Princess Masako of Japan, for whom Hanae Mori made a wedding gown, Hanae Mori has made costumes for operas including "Madame Butterfly" and "Elektra
", ballets including "Cinderella" and musicals such as the Japanese production of "Evita".
She has created designs for shoes, stockings, gloves, ties
, belts
, handbag
s, umbrella
s, sunglasses
, aprons, carpet
s and lacquerware
. She also has a range of fragrances, including Hanae Mori and Hanae Mori Butterfly.
Her published books include Hanae Mori 1960-1989" and "Fashion – A Butterfly That Flew Across the Border.
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. She is the only Japanese woman to have presented her collections on the runways of Paris and New York, and the first Asian woman to be admitted as an official haute couture
Haute couture
Haute couture refers to the creation of exclusive custom-fitted clothing. Haute couture is made to order for a specific customer, and it is usually made from high-quality, expensive fabric and sewn with extreme attention to detail and finished by the most experienced and capable seamstresses,...
design house by the fédération française de la couture
Fédération française de la couture
The Fédération française de la couture, du prêt-à-porter des couturiers et des créateurs de mode is the French fashion industry governing clothing. The Federation was created in 1973, growing out of an older trade union , the Chambre syndicale de la haute couture parisienne which was created in...
in France. She is also the most honored female designer in Japan. Being one of the first women to have a career in Japan, she is widely regarded as an icon of the liberated women. Her fashion house, opened in Japan in 1951, grew to become a $500 million international business by the 1990s.
Career
After graduating from Tokyo Women's Christian University, Hanae Mori married and attended dress-making school. She opened her first atelier in 1951 and over the next several years designed costumes for hundreds of movies, including OzuOzu
Ozu or Ōzu may refer to:Places*Ōzu, Ehime, a city in Ehime Prefecture*Ōzu, Kumamoto, a town in Kumamoto PrefecturePeople*Yasujirō Ozu , a Japanese filmmaker*Ozu, a character on the TV show Kappa Mikey...
's "Early Autumn
Early Autumn
Early Autumn is a 1926 novel by Louis Bromfield. It won the Pulitzer Prize for the Novel in 1927.-Plot synopsis:The novel is set in the fictional Massachusetts town of Durham shortly after World War I. The Pentland family is rich and part of the upper class, but their world is rapidly changing...
". In 1965, she successfully presented her first New York collection, "East Meets West". Twelve years later, she opened an haute couture showroom in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, leading to her appointment as a member of La Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne
Fédération française de la couture
The Fédération française de la couture, du prêt-à-porter des couturiers et des créateurs de mode is the French fashion industry governing clothing. The Federation was created in 1973, growing out of an older trade union , the Chambre syndicale de la haute couture parisienne which was created in...
.
Mori designed three consecutive uniforms for the stewardesses (flight attendants) of Japan Air Lines (JAL). The first uniform was worn from 1967 to 1970; the second, which created a sensation by featuring a miniskirt
Miniskirt
A miniskirt, sometimes hyphenated as mini-skirt, is a skirt with a hemline well above the knees – generally no longer than below the buttocks; and a minidress is a dress with a similar meaning...
, worn from 1970 to 1977; and the third worn from 1977 to 1988.
From 1989 to 1996, Mori employed Dominique Sirop
Dominique Sirop
Dominique Sirop is a French fashion designer and grand couturier.-Early life:Sirop's mother was a couturier's mannequin in Paris for the House of Paquin, and from seeing his mother at work Sirop got the ambition to make a career in the world of haute couture...
as a designer. He became a grand couturier in 1997.
Currently
Hanae Mori has retired from the runway but still has a few boutiques in TokyoTokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
's fashionable Harajuku
Harajuku
Harajuku is the common name for the area around Harajuku Station on the Yamanote Line in the Shibuya ward of Tokyo, Japan....
neighborhood, including one in the Hotel Okura. Her fragrance division, Hanae Mori Parfums, is still active and produces a series of acclaimed fragrances including Hanae Mori Butterfly for women, HM for Men and Hanae Mori Magical Moon for women. Hanae Mori Parfums are made in France and distributed worldwide. It can be purchased throughout the United States at stores such as Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, Bloomingdale's, Macy's and Sephora.
She lives in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
and continues to serve as an inspiration of fellow designers such as Vivienne Tam
Vivienne Tam
Vivienne Tam is a fashion designer based in New York City. She was born in Guangzhou, China and moved to Hong Kong at the age of three. She attended Hong Kong Polytechnic University....
, Vera Wang
Vera Wang
Vera Ellen Wang is a Chinese American fashion designer based in New York City and former figure skater. She is known for her wide clientele of couture bridesmaid gowns and wedding gown collections.-Personal life:...
, Catherina Walker and numerous Asian designers such as Cho Cheng
Cho Cheng
Cho Cheng is a fashion designer and entrepreneur who founded his company CHOCHENG in New York.-References:**-External links:*...
, Toshio Goma and Jotaro Saito.
Awards
In 1989, Hanae Mori was awarded the French Legion of Honor by President François MitterrandFrançois Mitterrand
François Maurice Adrien Marie Mitterrand was the 21st President of the French Republic and ex officio Co-Prince of Andorra, serving from 1981 until 1995. He is the longest-serving President of France and, as leader of the Socialist Party, the only figure from the left so far elected President...
of France. In 1996, Hanae Mori was awarded the Order of Culture
Order of Culture
The is a Japanese order, established on February 11, 1937. The order has one class only, and may be awarded to men and women for contributions to Japan's art, literature or culture; recipients of the order also receive an annuity for life...
by the Emperor of Japan
Emperor of Japan
The Emperor of Japan is, according to the 1947 Constitution of Japan, "the symbol of the state and of the unity of the people." He is a ceremonial figurehead under a form of constitutional monarchy and is head of the Japanese Imperial Family with functions as head of state. He is also the highest...
.
Style
Her signature design inspiration is the butterflyButterfly
A butterfly is a mainly day-flying insect of the order Lepidoptera, which includes the butterflies and moths. Like other holometabolous insects, the butterfly's life cycle consists of four parts: egg, larva, pupa and adult. Most species are diurnal. Butterflies have large, often brightly coloured...
.
In addition to serving clients including Princess Grace of Monaco and Crown Princess Masako of Japan, for whom Hanae Mori made a wedding gown, Hanae Mori has made costumes for operas including "Madame Butterfly" and "Elektra
Elektra (opera)
Elektra is a one-act opera by Richard Strauss, to a German-language libretto by Hugo von Hofmannsthal, which he adapted from his 1903 drama Elektra. The opera was the first of many collaborations between Strauss and Hofmannsthal...
", ballets including "Cinderella" and musicals such as the Japanese production of "Evita".
She has created designs for shoes, stockings, gloves, ties
Necktie
A necktie is a long piece of cloth worn for decorative purposes around the neck or shoulders, resting under the shirt collar and knotted at the throat. Variants include the ascot tie, bow tie, bolo tie, and the clip-on tie. The modern necktie, ascot, and bow tie are descended from the cravat. Neck...
, belts
Belt (clothing)
A belt is a flexible band or strap, typically made of leather or heavy cloth, and worn around the waist. A belt supports trousers or other articles of clothing.-History:...
, handbag
Handbag
A handbag, or purse in American English, is a handled medium-to-large bag that is often fashionably designed, typically used by women, to hold personal items such as wallet/coins, keys, cosmetics, a hairbrush, pepper spray, cigarettes, mobile phone etc....
s, umbrella
Umbrella
An umbrella or parasol is a canopy designed to protect against rain or sunlight. The term parasol usually refers to an item designed to protect from the sun; umbrella refers to a device more suited to protect from rain...
s, sunglasses
Sunglasses
Sunglasses or sun glasses are a form of protective eyewear designed primarily to prevent bright sunlight and high-energy visible light from damaging or discomforting the eyes. They can sometimes also function as a visual aid, as variously termed spectacles or glasses exist, featuring lenses that...
, aprons, carpet
Carpet
A carpet is a textile floor covering consisting of an upper layer of "pile" attached to a backing. The pile is generally either made from wool or a manmade fibre such as polypropylene,nylon or polyester and usually consists of twisted tufts which are often heat-treated to maintain their...
s and lacquerware
Lacquerware
Lacquerware are objects decoratively covered with lacquer. The lacquer is sometimes inlaid or carved. Lacquerware includes boxes, tableware, buttons and even coffins painted with lacquer in cultures mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere.-History:...
. She also has a range of fragrances, including Hanae Mori and Hanae Mori Butterfly.
Her published books include Hanae Mori 1960-1989" and "Fashion – A Butterfly That Flew Across the Border.