PARIS (AP): French fashion designer Emanuel Ungaro, who was known for his use of vibrant colour, mixed prints and elegant draping, has died at the age of 86.

Ungaro's death was confirmed Sunday by the eponymous Paris fashion house he founded in 1965, which said in an Instagram post that he “will remain in our memories as the Master of sensuality, of color and flamboyance.”

The designer died Saturday in Paris, according to French media.

Born in the southern French city of Aix-en-Provence in 1933, Ungaro learned to sew from his father, an Italian tailor.

When he was 23 years old, he moved to Paris. Two years later, he started working as an assistant to Spanish fashion designer Cristobal Balenciaga.

Ungaro then worked for a couple of years for the Courreges house before creating his own company.

For decades, Ungaro clothed celebrities and actresses, including Jacqueline Kennedy, Gena Rowlands and Catherine Deneuve.

In 1996, he sold his house to the Italian group Ferragamo. He kept creating collections and retired in 2004.

He is survived by his wife and their daughter.