Hanae Mori, fashion designer for films and Japan's empress, dies at 96

Hanae Mori, centre, is applauded by models after the presentation of her Autumn/Winter 1997 haute couture collection in Paris. Photo: AP

Designer Hanae Mori, known for her elegant signature butterfly motifs, numerous cinema fashions and the wedding gown of Japan's empress, has died, her office said Thursday (Aug 18). She was 96.

Mori symbolised the rise of Japan as a modern, fashionable nation and the rise of the working woman.