The Parisian ambiance and Coco herself filled Mori with the desire to explore the Paris fashion landscape. She set up her design company in 1963 and began entering international fashion shows the next year.
By 1977 she had opened her Haute Couture Maisonette on Paris' Avenue Montaigne. Later that year she became the first Asian woman to be invited to join the prestigious La Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture Parisienne which had always been dominated by European males.
"I treasure my identity as a woman of Japan, and I try to reflect this in my work."
Throughout her career Mori has maintained a disciplined schedule which, she believes, lets her create quickly. Typically, she wakes at 8 a.m, eats and makes phone calls and arrives at her studio by 10 a.m.
From her Tokyo office, Mori gave a peek into her life.
Q: Why divide your time between Paris and Tokyo?
Mori: I am a Japanese citizen, but have been working in Paris for
17 years now, and consider myself a resident of both Tokyo and Paris. Tokyo
is a very modern city that is constantly changing. On the other hand, Paris is
always the same beautiful place. It is such an expressive city, with different
looks for different times of day. The inspiration that I get in these two cities
are diverse.
Q: What time of day best stimulates the creative
process?
Mori: There are no particular times of day that inspire or
stimulate my creativity the most. I am always searching for ideas and
storing them. I create from these ideas, adjusting them to the feel of the
times.
Q: Where do you find inspiration?
Mori: I am inspired by the way people live.
Q: Does a constant theme run through your work?
Mori: I am always conscious of the fact that I am a woman, and of
my position as a female designer. There are many "career-oriented" women
today. I am myself a working woman, and have been for a long time, and
therefore I can understand their lifestyles. I treasure my identity as a
woman of Japan, and I try to reflect this in my work in a way that it can be
understood by my international audience.
Q: What part of the body do you like to highlight?
Mori: This varies with the season. Sometimes I emphasize the
roundness of the body, other times it is the breasts. Sometimes it's the long
pair of legs extending out of a very short skirt. It could be the movement of
the body.
Q: Has the idea of elegance changed since you started?
Mori: Refining one's individuality and expressing it is my
definition of elegance, and this basic idea has not changed. Of course, the
method of expression has.
Q: When did you first realize you were a great designer?
Mori: I have never considered myself as such.
Q: What drew you to design?
Mori: When I was young I wanted to become an artist. My dream
was put on ice because of my father's disapproval. But I could not give up
passion and decided to pursue it after my marriage, so I began to study
fashion.
Q: How did film costume design affect you fashion outlook?
"The trend will focus on separate items that can be coordinated by the wearer to express each person's individuality."
Mori: Designing for films is different because the visual image is important, whereas the clothing that I design are fashions that are meant to be worn by real people. The experience was very meaningful. Being adventurous in my designs for films have helped me in my fashion design work.
Q: What's attractive about designing costumes for the theater?
Mori: It's interesting because I must take into consideration the
characters in the unfolding drama. Stage costumes are haute couture. They
are clothes meant to be worn in front of many people, to be seen in, to
perform an opera in, a ballet or a concert. I take great care in creating them,
using the best materials.
Q: What about haute couture?
Mori: I had a ready-to-wear business in the U.S., but it was called
a couture line and required a lot of work to be done by hand. I had also
become exhausted by the business-oriented atmosphere, and began to yearn
for a creative workplace where I could enjoy what I create. This feeling led
me to open an haute couture maisonette in Paris.
Q: What were the most significant obstacles you've had to
overcome?
Mori: There were times when I have wanted to quit altogether.
After ten years of designing film costumes, I was burned out. I did not even
have time to sleep then. Also in a country like Japan where at the time there
was not much emphasis put on fashion [during the 1950s and early 1960s], I
had become disillusioned. Friends had recommended that I take a vacation
and visit Paris, which I did, and I also visited New York in that summer.
Experiencing the professional atmosphere of these two global fashion centers
made me realize what an exciting business I was involved in. I decided, "I
can do this and I will."
Q: What's the emerging trend?
Mori: In a nutshell, "Simplicity." The trend will focus on separate
items that can be coordinated by the wearer to express each person's
individuality. The focus is on comfort, romance and simplicity.
Q: Will Paris continue its reign as the world's fashion capital?
Mori: Yes, at least for the time being.