TOKYO — Shu Uemura, the Japanese makeup artist who won acclaim in Hollywood and built an international cosmetics brand under his name, has died. He was 79.
Uemura, who gained acclaim working with actress Shirley MacLaine on the 1962 Hollywood film “My Geisha,” died of pneumonia in Tokyo on Dec. 29, according to a statement released Tuesday by his company, also called Shu Uemura. Its products were mentioned in the more recent film “The Devil Wears Prada.”
Uemura was working as a beautician in Hollywood when he was called to work on Mac Laine’s makeup for “My Geisha” after the staff makeup artist fell ill.
His transformation of MacLaine into a Japanese beauty catapulted the young Uemura to renown within the U.S. show business community.
He became a favorite among top actresses as well as the likes of singer Frank Sinatra and actor Edward G. Robinson, according to his company’s website.
In 1960, Uemura developed his first cosmetics product, a cleansing oil that remains popular today. He later opened a school to train makeup artists in Tokyo.
In 1983, amid Japan’s economic boom and just as Tokyo was establishing itself as a fashion trendsetter, Uemura launched a cosmetics boutique in the capital. It drew crowds for its gallery-like interior.
Uemura gradually expanded his brand to include handmade makeup brushes, perfumes, and voluptuous fake eyelashes. The company’s eyelash curlers were mentioned in the 2006 movie “The Devil Wears Prada” starring Meryl Streep.
The company, which has stores in New York, Paris, London and Hong Kong, was acquired by French cosmetics maker L’Oreal SA in 2004.
Other deaths
Jean-Claude Vrinat, 71, who ran the renowned Paris restaurant Taillevent, died Monday of lung cancer at a Paris hospital, said his daughter, Valerie.
The restaurant opened under Vrinat’s father, Andre, in 1946. Jean-Claude joined in 1962, and Valerie Vrinat now runs the establishment, after taking over in 1987.
Vrinat put in long hours at the restaurant, rising early to help prepare for the lunch service and staying on to greet the last diners on most nights, his daughter said.
“My father had excellent relationships with our clients, some of whom are from families that have patronized Taillevent for three generations,” Valerie Vrinat said. “It’s a difficult field, where we give lots, but we also get lots back.”
Jean-Claude Vrinat was born on April 12, 1936, in Villeneuve l’Archeveque, in eastern France. He studied at the prestigious HEC business school and had his heart set on a career in the automotive industry. But he entered the family restaurant business as a stopgap measure and ended up staying, Valerie Vrinat said.
The restaurant, in a tony neighborhood, was known for its innovative French cuisine and its extensive wine cellar. It won its third Michelin star in 1973, under Jean-Claude Vrinat’s management, but lost it last year.
Guests at Taillevent, named after a 14th century French cookbook author, have included Richard Nixon, Frank Sinatra and French presidents.
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Edward Klosinski, 65, a Polish cinematographer who worked with Oscar-winning director Andrzej Wajda and director Krzysztof Kieslowski, died Saturday at his home in Milanowek, near Warsaw, after being diagnosed with lung cancer during the summer, the Association of Polish Filmmakers said.
Klosinski worked on about 70 movies. He was the favorite cinematographer of Wajda, who was awarded an honorary Oscar in 2000 for his lifetime achievement.
Their work together included “Man of Iron,” which chronicled the development of the Solidarity freedom movement and won the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival in 1981. It also included the 1977 film “Man of Marble.”
For Kieslowski’s “Three Colours-White,” Klosinski directed cinematography and contributed to the screenplay. He also worked on Lars von Trier’s 1991 film “Europa.”
Klosinski was born in Warsaw in 1943 and graduated from the Lodz Film School in 1967. He made his debut as a cinematographer in 1970 with Wajda’s movie “The Birch Wood.” After 1980, he often worked in Germany.
