French fashion designer Jean-Louis Scherrer, whose clientele included former first lady Jackie Kennedy and actress Raquel Welch, has died. He was 78. He suffered from a long illness and died in his home in Paris, reported Women’s Wear Daily.
After studying under fashion icons Christian Dior and Yves Saint Laurent, Scherrer launched his own line in 1962, premiering his first collection in a wine cellar. He later went on to create a perfume and fur line. While his line garnered the most success between the 1960s and 1980s, it went through a series of owners and closed its doors in 2008. Although retired as a fashion designer, he still remained active and was appointed as an officer of the Legion of Honor, France’s highest civilian decoration, in 2009. Scherrer was known as one of the faces of haute couture and for his use of polka dots and animal print. -Najja Parker Source & Photo: WWD