Pierre Cardin, the renowned French designer and fashion brand mogul, has passed away at the age of 98.
Cardin died at a hospital in Neuilly, west of Paris, AFP reported, according to CNBC.
“It is a day of great sadness for all our family. Pierre Cardin is no more. We are all proud of his tenacious ambition and the daring he has shown throughout his life,” a statement by Cardin’s family read.
The Academy of Fine Arts also announced his passing with a post to Twitter earlier today (December 19).
“… the members of the Academy of Fine Arts are very sad to announce the death of their colleague Pierre Cardin,” the statement published in the French language read.
Tributes pour in on Twitter
People have been paying tribute to the late fashion mogul since news of his death broke earlier today.
Le Secrétaire perpétuel, Laurent Petitgirard, et les membres de l’Académie des beaux-arts ont la très grande tristesse d’annoncer la disparition de leur confrère Pierre Cardin. Il avait été élu le 12 février 1992 au fauteuil de Pierre Dux (section des membres libres). pic.twitter.com/sA1mABvZB5
— Académie beaux-arts (@AcadBeauxarts) December 29, 2020
Celebs and journalists who posted tributes on Twitter included actress Mia Farrow, TV host Charles V Payne, The New York Times’ fashion critic Vanessa Friedman, and journalist Nina Garcia.
Pierre Cardin designed clothes that were works of art. This photo was taken the year before i was in Rosemary’s Baby- filming a movie nobody saw but memorable to me for the gorgeous, impossibly comfortable clothes Cardin made. I remember him as a kind man. May he rest in peace. https://t.co/0rHUbT44dx
— Mia Farrow (@MiaFarrow) December 30, 2020
Pierre Cardin passed away today and I’m reminded of my teenage years when I began to wear cologne. I graduated to the big leagues when I bought my first Pierre Cardin at Woolworth. pic.twitter.com/BMn2f3njr3
— Charles V Payne (@cvpayne) December 29, 2020
When we are about to say goodbye to 2020 I just been informed of the passing of #PierreCardin. Cardin exemplifies in his designs how fashion has the power to design the future. pic.twitter.com/cK81xzS277
— Nina Garcia (@ninagarcia) December 29, 2020
The House of Dior (Christian Dior) also posted a tribute.
The House of Dior would like to pay tribute to #PierreCardin, an icon of creativity and reinvention who continually forged new paths in Haute Couture and ready-to-wear. The Space Age couturier started out his career as the head of our tailoring atelier alongside Monsieur Dior. pic.twitter.com/1E8fGvjdx9
— Dior (@Dior) December 29, 2020
Cardin’s death comes after the Tony Award-winning Broadway legend Ann Reinking died earlier in the month
Monsters and Critics also reported earlier today that Deadliest Catch star Nick McGlashan died at the age of 33.
Pierre Cardin bio
Pierre Cardin was born in July 1922 in France to a wealthy wine merchant. His parents were French citizens of Italian descent.
They moved from Italy to France when Cardin was 2 years old.
Cardin worked for some time as a tailor’s apprentice during his early teens and later studied architecture in Paris. He also worked as a model and stage dancer.
In 1946, he worked with Christian Dior, before Dior became a famous designer. Cardin started his own fashion house a few years after working with Dior.
His fashion house designed masks and costumes for Jean Cocteau’s 1946 film Beauty and the Beast (La Belle et La Bete).
As a fashion designer, Cardin was famous for bold designs that explored futuristic themes.
He was even more famous for his branded products, ranging from perfumes to clothes and accessories.
He pioneered the practice of selling designer clothes in department stores, starting in the 1950s.
He was expelled from the elite French Chambre Syndicale de la Couture for violating the guild’s policy when he teamed up with a department store to sell his products.
But Cardin was undeterred. He went on to pioneer the branding of luxury products, such as perfumes and accessories, and everyday products, such as food and household items.
He successfully pursued his sales and marketing strategy for decades despite criticism by detractors who claimed he was degrading the value of his brand name.
Cardin also pioneered the creation of designer clothes for men and had high-profile clients, such as Mick Jagger and Rex Harrison.
He helped to mentor other fashion designers, such as Jean-Paul Gaultier.
Cardin later ventured into other lines of business, including fast food, restaurant, and real estate.