Japanese fashion designer Kenzo Takada, better known as Kenzo, who created his label in Paris in the 1970s, died on Sunday, the brand that still carries his name said.

Aged 81, Takada died of complications linked to COVID-19 at the American Hospital of Paris in Neuilly-sur-Seine, a residential suburb on the western outskirts of the capital, his spokesman told French media.

Known for his colourful motifs and original silhouettes, which mixed inspirations from Japan, such as the kimono, with other cuts, Takada also branched into perfumes and skincare lines, helping his business boom.

He had retired from his eponymous label several decades ago, however, after selling it to LVMH LVMH.PA, the world's biggest luxury group, in the early 1990s.

Kenzo has since had several other creative directors, while Takada maintained close links to the world of fashion but explored other areas of design, including furniture.

Confirming his death in a statement on Instagram, the Kenzo brand paid tribute to his use of colour, and said the label was still inspired by his zest for life and optimism.

Takada, who has described how he first reached France via a long boat journey in the mid-1960s, was known an avid traveller, and played with a mix of cultural inspirations in his designs.

A New York Times review of one of Takada’s early fashion shows in 1973 hailed an “ethnic mishmash that was joyous and full of fun”, describing him as “one of the most imaginative designers in the world”.

Takada, who has also designed opera costumes, started out with a small store in Paris before soon reaching star status, and remained in his adopted city. His contemporaries in a thriving period for Parisian fashion included Jean Paul Gaultier and Yves Saint Laurent.

“Paris is mourning one of its sons today,” Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo said on Twitter.

LVMH’s Chairman and CEO Bernard Arnault said in a statement that Kenzo had “infused into fashion a tone of poetic lightness and sweet freedom which inspired many designers after him”.

Ralph Toledano, chairman of France’s fashion federation, credited Takada with contributing to writing “a new page in fashion, at the confluence of the East and the West”.

Takada early this year launched a new venture in Paris, a home and lifestyle brand called K3, in collaboration with other designers.

Japanese fashion designer Kenzo Takada, better known as Kenzo, who created his label in Paris in the 1970s, died on Sunday, the brand that still carries his name said.

Japanese fashion designer Kenzo Takada, better known as Kenzo, who created his label in Paris in the 1970s, died on Sunday, the brand that still carries his name said. Aged 81, Takada died of complications linked to COVID-19 at the American Hospital of Paris in Neuilly-sur-Seine, a residential suburb on the western outskirts of the capital, his spokesman told French media. Known for his colourful motifs and original silhouettes, which mixed inspirations from Japan, such as the kimono, with other cuts, Takada also branched into perfumes and skincare lines, helping his business boom. He had retired from his eponymous label several decades ago, however, after selling it to LVMH LVMH.PA, the world's biggest luxury group, in the early 1990s. Kenzo has since had several other creative directors, while Takada maintained close links to the world of fashion but explored other areas of design, including furniture. Confirming his death in a statement on Instagram, the Kenzo brand paid tribute to his use of colour, and said the label was still inspired by his zest for life and optimism. Takada, who has described how he first reached France via a long boat journey in the mid-1960s, was known an avid traveller, and played with a mix of cultural inspirations in his designs. A New York Times review of one of Takada’s early fashion shows in 1973 hailed an “ethnic mishmash that was joyous and full of fun”, describing him as “one of the most imaginative designers in the world”. Takada, who has also designed opera costumes, started out with a small store in Paris before soon reaching star status, and remained in his adopted city. His contemporaries in a thriving period for Parisian fashion included Jean Paul Gaultier and Yves Saint Laurent. “Paris is mourning one of its sons today,” Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo said on Twitter. LVMH’s Chairman and CEO Bernard Arnault said in a statement that Kenzo had “infused into fashion a tone of poetic lightness and sweet freedom which inspired many designers after him”. Ralph Toledano, chairman of France’s fashion federation, credited Takada with contributing to writing “a new page in fashion, at the confluence of the East and the West”. Takada early this year launched a new venture in Paris, a home and lifestyle brand called K3, in collaboration with other designers.

Japanese fashion designer Kenzo Takada dies from COVID-19

Japanese fashion billionaire <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/japanese-fashion-designer-yusaku-maezawa-is-giving-away-9-million-to-his-twitter-followers-273254">Yusaku Maezawa</a> has pulled out of a documentary search for a girlfriend to take on his voyage around the moon with Elon Musk's SpaceX, citing his "mixed feelings" about participating.

This month, the 44-year-old announced he was <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/japanese-billionaire-yusaku-maezawa-to-be-spacex-moon-traveller-166267">seeking single females</a> over 20 willing to vie to become his girlfriend for a documentary to be aired on streaming service AbemaTV. Almost 28,000 people applied.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/who-is-japanese-billionaire-maezawa-who-seeks-girlfriend-for-moon-voyage-274172">Maezawa </a>said he is "extremely remorseful" about the decision to pull out, apologizing to the applicants and AbemaTV staff in posts to Twitter, where he is Japan's most-followed account with more than 7 million followers.

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お見合いにご応募いただきました皆さま、そしてAbemaTV関係者の皆さまには、心よりお詫び申し上げます。大変申し訳ございませんでした。 <a href="https://t.co/UvnhXov8xB">https://t.co/UvnhXov8xB</a>
— Yusaku Maezawa (MZ) 前澤友作 (@yousuck2020) <a href="https://twitter.com/yousuck2020/status/1222716480376098816?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 30, 2020</a></blockquote>
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The translation reads thusly: " We sincerely apologize to all of you who have applied for the matchmaking, and to those involved in AbemaTV. I'm very sorry."

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/billionaire-maezawa-seeks-for-a-life-partner-for-moon-spacex-voyage-273811">Fly me to the moon: Japanese billionaire Maezawa seeks girlfriend for SpaceX voyage</a>

Maezawa, the founder and former CEO of online fashion retailer Zozo, which he last year sold to SoftBank Group Corp, is known for launching big ideas with much fanfare - though some of them don't pan out as planned.

As CEO, he launched the Zozosuit, a polka-dot bodysuit that allowed users to collect body measurements to order custom-made clothes but which did not work well in practice. He also outlined an ambitious overseas expansion plan that wildly undershot targets, leading to a crash in the company's stock price.

Maezawa has pledged to give away $9 million to his Twitter followers in what he says is a "social experiment" to see if the payment boosts their happiness.

Japanese fashion billionaire Yusaku Maezawa has pulled out of a documentary search for a girlfriend to take on his voyage around the moon with Elon Musk's SpaceX, citing his "mixed feelings" about participating.

Japanese fashion billionaire Yusaku Maezawa has pulled out of a documentary search for a girlfriend to take on his voyage around the moon with Elon Musk's SpaceX, citing his "mixed feelings" about participating. This month, the 44-year-old announced he was seeking single females over 20 willing to vie to become his girlfriend for a documentary to be aired on streaming service AbemaTV. Almost 28,000 people applied. Maezawa said he is "extremely remorseful" about the decision to pull out, apologizing to the applicants and AbemaTV staff in posts to Twitter, where he is Japan's most-followed account with more than 7 million followers. お見合いにご応募いただきました皆さま、そしてAbemaTV関係者の皆さまには、心よりお詫び申し上げます。大変申し訳ございませんでした。 https://t.co/UvnhXov8xB — Yusaku Maezawa (MZ) 前澤友作 (@yousuck2020) January 30, 2020 × The translation reads thusly: " We sincerely apologize to all of you who have applied for the matchmaking, and to those involved in AbemaTV. I'm very sorry." Also Read: Fly me to the moon: Japanese billionaire Maezawa seeks girlfriend for SpaceX voyage Maezawa, the founder and former CEO of online fashion retailer Zozo, which he last year sold to SoftBank Group Corp, is known for launching big ideas with much fanfare - though some of them don't pan out as planned. As CEO, he launched the Zozosuit, a polka-dot bodysuit that allowed users to collect body measurements to order custom-made clothes but which did not work well in practice. He also outlined an ambitious overseas expansion plan that wildly undershot targets, leading to a crash in the company's stock price. Maezawa has pledged to give away $9 million to his Twitter followers in what he says is a "social experiment" to see if the payment boosts their happiness.

Japanese billionaire Maezawa pulls out of dating show that promised the moon trip

Japanese Fashion Tycoon and billionaire Yusaku Maezawa, in a social experiment, has decided to give away a billion yen {$9 million (Rs 64.36 crore)}.

The mammoth amount is to be distributed among 1000 of his lucky followers. This lottery-system experiment is to prove whether 'Money makes people happy or not'.

He announced this on December 31 on his Twitter handle where he collected 4.1 million retweets. In a YouTube video, he explained that a lottery will determine the lucky 1,000 from among the people who retweeted him, who will then be notified through direct message.

This is not the first time that the fashion mogul pulled off something like this, last year he gave away 100 million yen to his followers. He called it 'serious social trial'.

He urged winners to use the money "as they like" and answer regular questionnaires about how they are using it. The tech tycoon also asked for social scientists to help analyze the experiment results.&nbsp;

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🎍謹賀新年🎍 
 
【総額10億円】<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/%E5%89%8D%E6%BE%A4%E3%81%8A%E5%B9%B4%E7%8E%89?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#前澤お年玉</a> 100万円を1000人にプレゼントします！ 
 
100万円で皆さまの人生がよりハッピーになりますように。 
 
応募方法は僕のフォローとこのツイートのリツイート。締切は1月7日23:59まで。 
 
企画趣旨や当選条件などはYouTubeで説明してます。 <a href="https://t.co/kBgwwmJoaP">https://t.co/kBgwwmJoaP</a> <a href="https://t.co/1Fr0Vq4i6Z">pic.twitter.com/1Fr0Vq4i6Z</a>
— Yusaku Maezawa (MZ) 前澤友作 (@yousuck2020) <a href="https://twitter.com/yousuck2020/status/1212025675055452160?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 31, 2019</a></blockquote>
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The previous year's stint got him 5.6 million retweets.&nbsp;Maezawa had asked his followers to retweet his tweet by January 7. This lottery will ensure $9000 each to 1000 lucky followers.

The winners will be directly contacted by the billionaire on January 10, with their given prize.

The fashionista was quoted in a Reuters report that he had 'time and money'.&nbsp;According to Forbes, Maezawa’s net worth amounts to $2 billion.

Japanese Fashion Tycoon and billionaire Yusaku Maezawa, in a social experiment, has decided to give away a billion yen {$9 million (Rs 64.36 crore)}. The mammoth amount is to be distributed among 1000 of his lucky followers.

Japanese Fashion Tycoon and billionaire Yusaku Maezawa, in a social experiment, has decided to give away a billion yen {$9 million (Rs 64.36 crore)}. The mammoth amount is to be distributed among 1000 of his lucky followers. This lottery-system experiment is to prove whether 'Money makes people happy or not'. He announced this on December 31 on his Twitter handle where he collected 4.1 million retweets. In a YouTube video, he explained that a lottery will determine the lucky 1,000 from among the people who retweeted him, who will then be notified through direct message. This is not the first time that the fashion mogul pulled off something like this, last year he gave away 100 million yen to his followers. He called it 'serious social trial'. He urged winners to use the money "as they like" and answer regular questionnaires about how they are using it. The tech tycoon also asked for social scientists to help analyze the experiment results. 🎍謹賀新年🎍 【総額10億円】#前澤お年玉 100万円を1000人にプレゼントします！ 100万円で皆さまの人生がよりハッピーになりますように。 応募方法は僕のフォローとこのツイートのリツイート。締切は1月7日23:59まで。 企画趣旨や当選条件などはYouTubeで説明してます。 https://t.co/kBgwwmJoaP pic.twitter.com/1Fr0Vq4i6Z — Yusaku Maezawa (MZ) 前澤友作 (@yousuck2020) December 31, 2019 × The previous year's stint got him 5.6 million retweets. Maezawa had asked his followers to retweet his tweet by January 7. This lottery will ensure $9000 each to 1000 lucky followers. The winners will be directly contacted by the billionaire on January 10, with their given prize. The fashionista was quoted in a Reuters report that he had 'time and money'. According to Forbes, Maezawa’s net worth amounts to $2 billion.

Japanese fashion designer Yusaku Maezawa is giving away $9 million to his Twitter followers

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Japanese fashion designer Kenzo Takada dies from COVID-19

Japanese billionaire Maezawa pulls out of dating show that promised the moon trip

Japanese fashion designer Yusaku Maezawa is giving away $9 million to his Twitter followers