Pierre Cardin, the legendary French fashion designer, has died at the age of 98. France's Fine Arts Academy revealed the news today on Twitter.
"The Perpetual Secretary, Laurent Petitgirard, and the members of the Academy of Fine Arts are deeply saddened to announce the death of their colleague Pierre Cardin. He had been elected on 12 February 1992 to the chair of Pierre Dux," the Academy wrote.
Cardin was born in 1922 in San Biagio di Callalta, a small town near Italy. He got into fashion at the age of 14 when, following an early interest in dressmaking, he started as a clothier's apprentice and learned the basics of design.
After World War II, during which he worked for the Red Cross, he moved to Paris and worked with the Paquin fashion house. This led to him founding his own fashion house in 1950.
Over the years, he became known for his avant-garde style. He popularized the Space Age aesthetic that became popular throughout the '60s. He also created the "mod chic" trend of the '70s and also made his own spacesuit design for NASA in 1970.
Throughout the '80s, he became an even bigger designer, with the New York Postclaiming that his name was "embossed on thousands of products, including watches and bedsheets, and sold at over 100,000 stores across the world."
In an interview with French television in 1970, Cardin gave an important quote about fashion that is timeless. "Fashion is always ridiculous, seen from before or after," he said. "But in the moment, it's marvelous."
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