Tadashi Shoji is the founder and chief designer of the Tadashi and Tadashi Shoji collections.  Born and raised in Sendai, Japan, he began painting and drawing from a young age and eventually moved to Tokyo, where he studied fine art.  His talent was soon recognized and he was recommended for an apprenticeship with Japan’s leading contemporary artist, Jiro Takamatsu, who is credited with paving the way for the modern art movement in Japan during the sixties.

It was during this period that Tadashi became intrigued with New York City and its role in the contemporary art scene. He moved to the United States to attend university in Los Angeles and further his artistic development, when he discovered fashion design and awakened a life-long passion. In the flamboyant seventies, every major recording artist was demanding a Whitten original, and Tadashi created designs for A-list stars including Elton John, Stevie Wonder, Neil Diam ... Read more »