French-Japanese fashion designer Kenzo Takada has died from COVID-19 complications in a hospital near Paris, his family said in a statement to French media on Sunday. He was 81. "It is with immense sadness that KENZO has learned of the passing of our founder," the fashion house confirmed in a statement. "For half a century, Mr. Takada has been an emblematic personality in the fashion industry — always infusing creativity and color into the world." Takada was known for what The Associated Press described as his "jungle-infused designs and free-spirited aesthetic that channeled global travel." He retired from his fashion house in 1999 to focus on his art, but remained an icon of French fashion. His Kenzo brand has been owned by French luxury goods company LVMH since 1993