André Courrèges Dies

FASHION designer André Courrèges has died, as confirmed by his company in a statement on Friday. The news comes following his 30-year battle with Parkinson's disease.

Courrèges was renowned for his futuristic aesthetic, launching his Maison de Couture in 1961. His famous Space Age collection followed in 1964, and he retired from the fashion industry in the Nineties to devote his time to painting and sculpture. New owners and co-presidents Jacques Bungert and Frédéric Torloting bought the company in January 2011, and Sebastien Meyer and Arnaud Vaillant were named  artistic directors of womenswear last year.

Courrèges, along with British designer Mary Quant, has often been credited with having invented the miniskirt - a staple of the Sixties style he came to represent.