Fred Segal.Photo: Angela Weiss/Getty Images
Fred Segal, the iconic designer whose retail stores defined fashion in Los Angeles from the 1960s on, died Thursday at the age of 87.
Segal died due to complications from a stroke, multiple outlets reported.
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“He was a true artist who dedicated his life to evolving as a human being in every aspect,” a representative for Segal said in a statement toThe Wrap. “He challenged us to expand our minds and our hearts, to go deeper and to do better.”
“He was an innovator, a forward thinker, a rule-breaker, a mentor to so many, such a lover of life and a humanitarian,” the statement continued. “Anyone who knew him felt his powerful energy. He worked his whole life to have self-love and to teach all of us to love one another. To the very end, he inspired us to never give up. He will be forever loved and celebrated.”
Segal opened his first store in West Hollywood in 1961, with theBeatles,Diana Ross,Elvis PresleyandFarrah Fawcettamong its earliest fans, the company website said.
“In the 1960s, there weren’t paparazzi and tabloids and internet like there are today,” Segal previouslyexplained. “But the Beatles came in to shop, and it got so much attention that it caused a traffic jam outside.”
The store remained a celebrity hotspot from the 1960s on, and was even name checked in some iconic films.
“Lucy! Where’s my white collarless shirt from Fred Segal?“Alicia Silverstone’s Cher says in the 1995 teen comedy,Clueless.
The store was also referenced in 2001’sLegally Blonde,with Elle Woods (Reese Witherspoon) declaring, “And last week, I saw Cameron Diaz at Fred Segal, and I talked her out of buying this truly heinous angora sweater.”
Today, Fred Segal still has locations around Los Angeles and the world, including ones on Sunset Boulevard, in Malibu, at LAX, in Germany and in Taipei.
To honor Segal’s legacy, the family asks that people consider donating to the Segal Family-United World Foundation at 10960 Wilshire Blvd. Suite 1100 Los Angeles, CA 90024.
source: people.com
