TOKYO — Takeshi Osumi, one half of the design duo behind the Japanese men’s wear brand Mistergentleman, died late last month at the age of 47. His brand announced the news Wednesday via an Instagram post.

Osumi was admitted to the hospital on Jan. 24 and passed away of sepsis on the same day. The brand plans to present its fall 2021 collection during Tokyo Fashion Week in March, saying that the designer was working on it even from his hospital room. The collection will be dedicated to Osumi’s memory, and a farewell party is being planned for a few days after the collection launches.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CK0HFNQJ1Fg/

A post shared by MISTERGENTLEMAN (@mistergentleman_aoyama) 

Osumi started Mistergentleman in 2012 together with his co-designer Yuichi Yoshii. It has frequently been a highlight of Tokyo Fashion Week, and is currently carried by stores across Japan and elsewhere in Asia, including Hong Kong, China, South Korea, Taiwan and Indonesia.

Prior to launching Mistergentleman, Osumi helmed the brand Phenomenon, which also began as a men’s brand. It eventually grew to include a women’s line before filing for bankruptcy in 2013. Earlier in his career his also designed a brand called Swagger.

Osumi was known for his imaginative collections marrying expert tailoring with street style and outdoorsy influences, often incorporating pops of bright color and bold prints. He blurred gender lines, and even though he designed mainly for men, he attracted many female fans of his collections. One of his chief sources of inspiration was music, particularly hip-hop.

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