Marc Bohan, creative director of Christian Dior for almost three decades, has died, the French couture house confirmed on Friday. Bohan was Dior’s longest-serving designer, occupying the position longer than Monsieur Dior himself.

Bohan worked for Jean Patou and Robert Piguet before succeeding Yves Saint Laurent at Dior in 1961. His designs were popular with Elizabeth Taylor, Grace Kelly and Sylvie Vartan. He created Empress Farah Diba of Iran’s coronation outfit in 1967, as well as Queen Silvia of Sweden and Princess Caroline of Monaco’s wedding gowns. He also drove Dior into the lucrative fragrance market.

“The ateliers of the Maison Dior owe him a huge debt of gratitude for having perceived, in times when it was no longer obvious, the inexhaustible wealth of their artisanal heritage and exceptional techniques,” Bernard Arnault, chairman and CEO of LVMH, which owns Dior, said in a statement. “If the flame of French creativity and savoir-faire that he patiently and continuously nurtured burns brightly around the world today, it’s largely thanks to him.”

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