Hanae Mori, renowned Japanese fashion designer, dies at 96

Hanae Mori is applauded by her models at the end of her 1998/99 fall/winter haute couture collection in Paris. The Japanese designer has died aged 96. Photograph: Thomas Coex/AFP/Getty Images

Hanae Mori, the Japanese fashion designer who broke into the world of French haute couture almost half a century ago, has died aged 96, her office said on Thursday.

Mori, who earned the nickname “Madame Butterfly” for her signature motif, was regarded as a symbol of Japan’s growing status as a modern, fashionable nation, and as a pioneer for the country’s women.