Kenzo Takada, the Japanese founder of the Kenzo fashion brand, has died from Covid-19.

He was 81.

He died at the American Hospital in Paris, a statement announcing his death said.

He was the first Japanese designer to gain prominence on the Paris fashion scene and known for his colourful graphic and floral prints.

Settled in Paris

Takada went to France from his native Japan in 1965 by boat.

He landed in Marseille before making his way to Paris.

He settled in France in the 1960s.

He had planned only a short stay in the French capital, but Paris eventually became his home and he spent the rest of his career there.

Created till the end

With his "nearly 8,000 designs", the Japanese designer "never stopped celebrating fashion and the art of living", his spokesman said.

Born in 1939 near Osaka, Kenzo founded the internationally known brand under his first name in the 1970s.

He created his first collection for women in 1970, his first show for men in 1983 and his first perfume, Kenzo Kenzo, in 1988.

He sold his clothing brand to luxury conglomerate LVMH in 1993 and retired from fashion six years later in 1999.

After that, he dedicated his time to one-off projects, including a design collection at the start of this year.

Top photo via Getty