Synopsis AP Pierre Cardin had been among The Fine Arts Academy's illustrious members since 1992. PARIS: Pierre Cardin, the French designer whose famous name embossed myriad consumer products after his iconic Space Age styles shot him into the fashion stratosphere in the 1960s, has died, the French Academy of Fine Arts said Tuesday. He was 98. A licensing maverick, Cardins name embossed thousands of products from wristwatches to bed sheets, and in the brands heyday in the 1970s and 80s, goods bearing his fancy cursive signature were sold at some 100,000 outlets worldwide. That number dwindled dramatically in later years, as his products were increasingly regarded as cheaply made and his clothing - which, decades later, remained virtually unchanged from its 60s-era styles - felt almost laughably dated.