PARIS (AP) -
Pierre Cardin,
the French designer whose space-age style was one of the symbols of fashion in the 1960s, has died at the age of 98, the French Academy of Fine Arts reported Tuesday.
Cardin's name was engraved on a myriad of products, from wristwatches to sheets, making her brand one of the most famous in the world.
At the brand's heyday, in the 1970s and 1980s, its products were sold in some 100,000 outlets around the world.
That number dropped dramatically in later years, as their products were increasingly viewed as cheap to make.
Additionally, his clothing remained virtually unchanged from the styles of the 1960s, so decades later it felt almost ridiculously dated.
An intelligent businessman, Cardin used his fabulous wealth to secure first-class properties in Paris, including the Belle Epoque Maxim's restaurant, which he also frequented.
The Academy of Fine Arts, which added him to its ranks in 1992, announced his death Tuesday in a tweet.
He did not report the cause of his death or say where or when he died.
Along with compatriot
Andre Courreges
and Spaniard
Paco Rabanne
, two other Paris-based designers known for their space age styles, Cardin revolutionized fashion in the early 1950s.
At a time when other Paris brands were obsessed with flattering the feminine form, Cardin's designs projected wearers as a kind of glorified hanger, to showcase the sharp shapes and graphic patterns of clothing.
His designs seem to have been intended to make grand entrances, sometimes quite literally.
Cardin's bubble gowns and capes enveloped wearers like large spheres of fabric.
Some of their touches were shaped like flying saucers.
Fisherman's hats covered the entire heads of the models, with windshields cut out in front of the eyes.
“Fashion is always ridiculous, seen from before or after.
But at the moment, it's wonderful, ”Cardin said in a 1970 interview with French television.
YOU MAY BE INTERESTED: Famous people react to the death of Armando Manzanero: Ricardo Montaner, Pablo Alboran and more
Renowned designer Kenzo Takada dies of coronavirus
IN VIDEO: Celebs that boast of J Balvin's Nike Air Jordan
Celebs that boast of J Balvin's Nike Air Jordan
Dec. 23, 202001: 13