KENZO TAKADA

It was a breath of fresh air in Paris, as designer Pierpaolo Piccioli rid himself of any constraints on race, age and weight Wednesday to produce a joyful, inclusive and long-awaited moment of couture.

It was a fashion history-making moment in Paris for Kenzo as it unveiled the debut for its first Japanese designer since house-founder Kenzo Takada.

The world also said goodbye to U.S. Rep. John Lewis, a lion of the civil rights movement who died in July. Other former political figures who died this year include Egyptian leader Hosni Mubarak, New York Mayor David Dinkins, Arizona Gov. Here is a roll call of some influential figures who died in 2020 (cause of death cited for younger people, if available):___JANUARY___David Stern, 77. The guitarist who supplied the scratching, seething sound that fueled the highly influential British punk band Gang of Four. He fused African rhythms with funk to become one of the most influential musicians in world dance music.

FILE - In this Tuesday, March 24, 2009 file photo, Japanese fashion designer Kenzo Takada poses outside his Paris house. Fashion designer Kenzo Takada dies from COVID-19 complications at age 81 near Paris, spokeswoman and reports said Sunday Oct. 4, 2020. (AP Photo/Jacques Brinon, file)PARIS – Kenzo Takada, the iconic French-Japanese fashion designer famed for his jungle-infused designs and free-spirited aesthetic that channeled global travel, has died. The family said in a statement to French media Sunday that Takada died from complications from COVID-19 in a hospital in Neuilly-sur-Seine, near Paris. A public relations officer for Kenzo's brand confirmed that Takada died, but didn't give a cause of death.

PARIS – Paris Fashion Week was upended Sunday by the news of fashion designer Kenzo Takada's death at age 81. Like Milan before it, Paris is undertaking an unusual fashion season for Spring-Summer 2021 because of the coronavirus pandemic. But the brand may have hoped such a big new beginning would have come under better days and not under the virus-hit Paris Fashion Week. For a 34-year-old, Williams has quite a resume -- after having designed for Kanye West and Lady Gaga and founding the influential urban fashion house 1017 ALYX 9SM. “It is with immense sadness that KENZO has learned of the passing of our founder,” the fashion house said in a statement.