Gianfranco Ferre

Gianfranco Ferré, the bearded, suited 'architect of fashion', 'suffered a brain haemorrhage and died on June 15 2007, aged 62. He had been creative director of the company since 2002 when Gianfranco Ferré Spa became part of IT Holding. He was replaced by Swedish designer Lars Nilsson. It was to be a shortlived tenure with his designs scrapped before the 2008 spring/summer shows and replaced by a team effort that aimed to more closely reflect Gianfranco Ferré's legacy. Ferré's signature elegant, structured and feminine silhouettes had won him a client base which included Sharon Stone, Elizabeth Taylor, the Queen of Jordan, Paloma Picasso, Sophia Loren and the late Diana, Princess of Wales. • Born in Legnano, northern Italy, on August 15 1944 • Gianfranco Ferré graduated from Milan Polytechnic Institute with a degree in architecture in 1969, before heading off to India in search of adventure in 1973 • Ferré won the coveted L'Occhio d'Oro six times over the course of his career • In 1989 he was made head of womenswear, couture and fur at Christian Dior. At the time, it was almost unheard of for a non-French designer to lead such a revered Parisian house Skin, formerly of Skunk Anansie performed at the lavish after party following the Gianfranco Ferré autumn/winter 2007-8 show in Milan. Giorgio Armani remembered him as "a man of dignity and calm, with a sense of responsibility which always accompanied him".