Tokyo, Japan — Famous Japanese fashion designer Kansai Yamamota dies at the age of 76.
Daughter of Yamamota, Mirai confirmed her fathers death on Monday via Instagram and said that her father “left this world peacefully, surrounded by loved ones.”
“In my eyes, my father was not only the eclectic and energetic soul that the world knew him as, but someone who was also thoughtful, kind-hearted and affectionate,” she wrote.
A statement published by the designer’s eponymous company states that Yamamoto died last Tuesday due to a battle with acute myeloid leukemia. It also stated that although his funeral has already taken place, a “public farewell” may be held at a later date.
“As he fought his illness, he remained always positive, never lost his passion towards creation,” the company’s statement read.
Yamomato was born in 1944 and has studied civil engineering before turning his attention to fashion. By the early 1970s he was known as the first Japanese designer to hold a show in London, an opportunity that earned him international acclaim for his theatrical creations.
His growing profile in London led to friendships with some of the decade’s most important musicians, including Elton John and Stevie Wonder. He was also recognized by the late singer David Bowie, with whom he formed a longstanding creative partnership.
Infact, the fashion designer was known for his avant-garde collections and career-defining collaboration with the singer David Bowie.
On 2016 Yamamoto said to the Hollywood Reporter that Bowie’s interest in his work began when the singer found some of his womenswear designs on sale in London.
“Luckily David had a very slim body and they fit him very well – no fittings,” the designer recalled.
Yomamoto has ever since produced high-profile events in locations around the world, from Moscow’s Red Square to London’s Victoria & Albert Museum, where he held a series of live fashion shows in 2013.
The designer’s company said that the current project of Yomamoto, an online streeming event, “Nippon Genki Project 2020 Super Energy,” will go ahead as scheduled on July 31.
“We deeply regret that Kansai cannot join us on the day,” its statement read, “but we would like to deliver his passion and dream in the best way possible.”
