AceShowbiz - French fashion designer Pierre Cardin has died at the age of 98.

The legendary designer, who was credited with revolutionising fashion with his futuristic and stylish designs in the 1960s and '70s, died in hospital in Neuilly, near Paris, his family confirmed to the Agence France-Presse news agency on Tuesday (29Dec20).

"It is a day of great sadness for all our family. Pierre Cardin is no more," they said in a statement. "We are all proud of his tenacious ambition and the daring he has shown throughout his life."

Cardin was born in Italy in 1922 but moved to France as a child. He began his fashion career in Paris working for firms including Schiaparelli and Dior, and designed the costumes for Jean Cocteau's 1946 film "Beauty and the Beast".

He set up his own fashion boutique in 1950 and made his name with visionary designs like the iconic bubble dress and his Space Age collection in 1964, as well as his groundbreaking ready-to-wear collections for both men and women.

Cardin was also a pioneer in business, licensing his name to be used on a range of products such as sunglasses.

Jean Paul Gaultier, the French designer who worked for Cardin in 1970, thanked his former mentor on Twitter for "opening the doors to fashion and making my dream possible."

Elle magazine's editor-in-chief and "Project Runway" judge Nina Garcia tweeted, "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."

"His curiosity, his vision and his love for the art of fashion helped shape the dreams of many women during the second half of the twentieth century. Even today his designs are truly modern, with silhouettes and fabrics that have inspired many contemporary designers."

"Today the fashion world is a little darker. We lost one of our lighthouses."