The man known as the “architect of fashion” has died. According to news reports, Gianfranco Ferre, the Italian designer acclaimed for his sculpted shapes and his reign at Christian Dior, is dead tonight. He was 62.
The announcement was made within days of his arrival at a hospital in Milan. Doctors say Ferre suffered a massive brain hemorrhage.
His death prompted top designers from around the world to issue statements regarding the impact Ferre made on the fashion world. Famed designer Giorgio Armani said he had long admired Ferre’s work and considered his passing a huge loss for the fashion industry. Designer Donatella Versace called Ferre a man “from another time” who helped change Italian fashion. Meanwhile, Roberto Cavalli called Ferre, “A true artist, pure, a beautiful person who will be missed by the whole fashion world.”
Ferre’s association with fashion came only after he obtained a degree in architecture from Milan’s Polytechnic Institute. He then shifted careers and became an accessories and jewelry designer before moving on to clothes. In the mid-1970s Ferre started his own company. But it wasn’t until 1989 when he got his major break—being tapped by the top designer for Christian Dior. Ferre remained at Dior until the fall of 1996, when he returned to Milan to cultivate his own men’s and women’s collections.
Ferre’s trademark style was based on the basics of architecture: simple and structured lines. He is also known for making the white blouse an integral part of a woman’s ensemble. His suits for women were considered “sophisticated.” While his looks for the evening were more frilly and feminine.
As for the designer himself, most of his colleagues considered him a “big teddy bear of a man dressed impeccably in three-piece suits.”
According to members of the Ferre family, the late designer’s spring-summer 2008 menswear collection is still scheduled to be presented Sunday in Milan.
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