Ted Lapidus, the Parisian "designer of the street" known for pioneering the sixties unisex look, has died in France at the age of 79. He suffered pulmonary complications due to leukemia yesterday at a hospital in Cannes. French president Nicolas Sarkozy said in a tribute that Lapidus "democratised French elegance and classicism" and "made fashion accessible to men and women in the street." Lapidus created his label in 1961; his designs kept up with social changes occurring in Europe in the sixties. In 1963 he joined the Parisian club that runs haute couture, La Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture. Ted's son Olivier took over the label in 1982 and began focusing on accessories because he thought they'd be more lucrative. Today the Lapidus label mainly lives on through accessories like fragrances and watches.

French fashion designer Ted Lapidus dies at 79 [AP]
Ted Lapidus, 1960s Paris fashion revolutionary, dies aged 79 [Guardian]