Famed French fashion designer Pierre Cardin dies at age of 98
French fashion designer Pierre Cardin, hailed for his visionary creations but also for bringing stylish clothes to the masses, died Tuesday at age of 98. Cardin, who was born to a low-income family in northern Italy but became a France-based fashion superstar, died in a hospital in Neuilly in the west of Paris.
- World
- Reuters
- Published Date: 04:12 | 29 December 2020
- Modified Date: 04:13 | 29 December 2020
French fashion designer Pierre Cardin, whose futuristic space-inspired looks upended catwalk styles in the 1960s and 70s, has died at the age of 98, France's Fine Arts Academy said.
Cardin, who cut his teeth working at top couture houses such as Christian Dior, went on to launch his own brand and pioneered the use of licensing in fashion, plastering his label's name on products of all kinds.
As well as shaking up fashion with bubble-dresses and geometrical designs, Cardin was also one of the first to bring high fashion to the masses by selling collections in department stores from the late 1950s.
His savvy business sense brought him a mix of admiration but also scorn from fashion purists at the time.
While he no longer presented runway collections, Cardin remained active in the industry, attending parties and events and taking young designers under his wing.
He has previously been a mentor to prominent designers such as Jean Paul Gaultier.