Pierre Cardin, famed French designer, dies at 98

A licensing maverick, Cardins name embossed myriad products from wristwatches to bedsheets, making his label among the worlds most famous.

France’s Academy of Fine Arts says Pierre Cardin, the French designer whose Space Age style was among the iconic looks of 20th-century fashion, has died at 98.

French fashion designer Pierre Cardin stands with models wearing his creations at his villa in Theoule sur Mer, southern France. France's Academy of Fine Arts says Pierre Cardin, the French designer whose Space Age style was among the iconic looks of 20th-century fashion, has died at 98. (AP)

A licensing maverick, Cardins name embossed myriad products from wristwatches to bedsheets, making his label among the worlds most famous.

In the brands heyday in the 1970s and 80s, his products were sold at some 100,000 outlets worldwide, though that number dwindled dramatically in later decades.

A savvy businessman, Cardin used his fabulous wealth to snap up top-notch properties in Paris, including the Belle Epoque restaurant Maxims. He was inducted into the Fine Arts Academy in 1992.

The academy announced his death in a tweet Tuesday. (AP) CPS