Paris, December 29: Pierre Cardin, the iconic French fashion designer known for bringing the "stylish clothes to the masses", died on Tuesday after suffering from health-related ailments. His family issued a statement to confirm his demise. Cardin was aged 98 when he breathed his last, his kin confirmed. RIP Pierre Cardin: Twitterati Pay Tributes and Mourn The Loss of Iconic French Fashion Designer by Sharing Pics of His Impeccable Fashion Style.

"It is a day of great sadness for all our family. Pierre Cardin is no more," the statement read, adding that he has left behind for France, and the rest of the world at large, a "great unique artistic heritage".

Cardin passed away at a hospital in Neuilly, located to the west of Paris. His demise is expected to evoke reaction from across the world of fashion, as he was considered a superstar in the realm.

His life, spanning for around a century, dates back to 1922 when he was born to a humble family in Italy's Venice. Despite being from a low-income group, he strove to rise in the world of fashion, and became a household name in France by mid-20th century.

Cardin had moved to Paris from Venice back in 1947. France, which was a hub of world's leading fashion designers, saw Cardin rise to fame costumes for the film "Beauty and the Beast" that year.  By 1954, he earned widespread repute for designing what is known as the legendary bubble dress.

Despite being settled in the West, Cardin was one of the few artists who had developed a chord with the Communist world as well. He developed ties with China back in 1979, and the fashion show he organised at Moscow's Red Square in 1991 had drawn a crowd of around 200,000.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 29, 2020 06:44 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).