Reiko Kutsuki Hori passed away on Nov. 18, 2016, at her home in Riverside. She was 86 years old.
She leaves behind two daughters, Junko and Renee, and a son, Taro Hori, as well as a sister, Etsuko Kutsuki. She is also survived by a daughter-in-law, Birgit, and a granddaughter, Mika Hori. She was predeceased by her brother, Ryuichi Kutsuki.
Reiko was born in Kanazawa, Japan on Feb. 2, 1930, into a samurai family. She was the first child of Hisao Kimura and Kimiko Kutsuki.
Reiko attended high school in historic Kanazawa and excelled not just as a student, but also in track and field. She dreamed of becoming a fashion designer and working in New York. After graduating from high school, she enrolled in and studied at the Dressmaking School of Tokyo.
She was a figure of post-modern feminism and, breaking with Japanese tradition, she left Japan and traveled to the United States, the land of opportunity to make her mark in the fashion world after receiving a scholarship to the Parson School of Design in New York City, where she graduated in 1956 with a degree in fashion design and became a recipient of the Golden Thimble Award.
She was a talented and passionate sportswear designer who brought her Japanese cultural inspiration to the fashion world. Following her graduation, she worked as a designer for several years and received much praise and numerous awards. In 1959 she was nominated for Sports Illustrated magazine’s Designer of the Year Award. In 1960 her life story was featured by the U.S. Information Agency in a worldwide TV broadcast titled the “Cinderella Story.” Her designs were featured in and she received publicity in periodicals such as Vogue, Mademoiselle, Life, Look, The New York Times, and Women’s Wear Daily.
She enjoyed teaching and taught at Parsons, inspiring a new generation of young designers, such as Proenza Schouler. She also worked for other designers, such as Izaac Mizrahi, Christian Francis Roth, Gloria Sachs ad Carmen Marco Volvo.
Upon retirement, she actively pursued her other artistic talents, especially painting. Reiko was a talented, kind, and generous women loved by many who knew her. She is missed dearly and her memory will live on forever in the hearts of her family and friends.
A memorial service followed by a reception will be held at the J House, 1114 E. Putnam Ave. Greenwich, at noon on Sunday, May 7.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in memory of Reiko Kutsuki Hori. Donations should be made out to Parsons School of Design in support of Parsons’ Scholarships. Please send them to the attention of Claudia Nielsen, Parsons School of Design, Office of Development, 79 Fifth Avenue, 17th Floor, New York, NY 10003, or call 212-229-5662, ext. 4221.
