Italian fashion designer Gianfranco Ferre, known as the "architect of fashion" for his beautifully sculpted shapes, died Sunday aged 62, hospital, in a statement authorized by Ferre's family.

Ferre was taken to the San Raffaele hospital in Milan on Friday after suffering a massive brain hemorrhage.

Born Aug. 15, 1944 in Legnano, in northern Italy, Ferre worked and lived in India for several years. His passion for travel and world cultures was often reflected in his collections.

Gianfranco Ferre started his career as an accessories and jewelry designer after obtaining a degree in architecture in 1969 from Milan's Polytechnic Institute. Architecture greatly inspired his designs.

In 1989 Ferre was signed by Bernard Arnault to be the top designer for Christian Dior. He was one of very few non-French designers at that time to lead the Parisian fashion house.

In 1996 Ferre returned to Milan to create his own men's and women's collections. His structured menswear-inspired lines and the penchant for intricate white blouses became his trademarks. Ferre is also known for his ample opera coats and dresses supported by layers of crinolines.

"Dressing a woman or man one must think in terms of lines, volumes, proportions. It is exactly the same as 'dressing' a space. The difference, the most important one, is that for the fashion designer the work of reference is the human body, an object in motion," Ferre once said.

According to ANSA, Ferre had already suffered two strokes in the past but had managed to recover, without paying heed to medical advice. Designer suffered from diabetes but had never managed to curb his passion for sweets, press reports noted.