Pierre Cardin: French Fashion Designer Dies At 98

Enlarge this image


French designer Pierre Cardin has died at age 98. Here, the member of the Academie des Beaux-Arts is seen in 2016, at the end of a fashion show marking 70 years of his creations at the Institut de France in Paris.





Chesnot/Getty Images



hide caption



toggle caption


Chesnot/Getty Images




French designer Pierre Cardin has died at age 98. Here, the member of the Academie des Beaux-Arts is seen in 2016, at the end of a fashion show marking 70 years of his creations at the Institut de France in Paris.


Chesnot/Getty Images

French designer Pierre Cardin, who extended his brand far beyond the fashion world, has died at age 98. The son of Italian immigrants worked with luminaries such as Jean Cocteau and Christian Dior before launching his own fashion house, drawing on his love for futuristic design.

Cardin’s family announced his death to Agence France-Presse Tuesday. The French Académie des Beaux-Arts also issued several statements mourning his passing.

«Immense sadness, the academy’s secretary general Cyril Barthalois said via Twitter, adding, «Equally great joy of having known him through the academy.

In the 1960s, Cardin’s simple, high-collared suits were a hit with the Beatles. It was one of many ways his work extended past fashion-show runways — he also designed uniforms for nurses and for Pakistan International Airlines.

In the business world, Cardin is known for his eager embrace of brand licensing, putting his name on products that had nothing to do with high fashion – including frying pans, as NPR has reported.