Iconic French designer Pierre Cardin passes away at 98

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

A licensing maverick, Cardin’s 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.