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Tadashi Shoji is the founder and chief designer of the Tadashi Shoji collection. 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. However, it was not until Tadashi moved to Los Angeles in the seventies that he awakened his life-long passion, fashion design, in which he also earned a degree. Soon after university, Tadashi began working at a prominent clothing manufacturer and quickly climbed the ranks. Noticing that women had few choices when it came to special occasion dresses in the contemporary market, he launched his own collection in 1982. For the next 25 years, the brand continued to thrive and in 2007, Tadashi debuted his higher-end runway collection at New York Fashion Week to rave reviews. In 2013, to mark his 30th anniversary as a designer, Tadashi released a capsule collection inspired by his greatest hits on TadashiShoji.com. Tadashi Shoji, founded in 1982, maintains signature boutiques in the United States and China and is carried in more than 700 major department and specialty stores worldwide. Today, the Tadashi Shoji collection is globally recognized and loved by devoted women, including First Lady of the United States Michelle Obama, Oscar Winner Octavia Spencer, Mindy Kaling, Ciara, Britney Spears and Janelle Monáe. Octavia Spencer wore a custom-made Tadashi Shoji gown to the 84th annual Academy Awards, where Spencer won Best Supporting Actress for her performance in The Help. With his original designs and innovative collections, women regardless of shape or size are inspired to showcase their beauty and walk with confidence.