Oleg Cassini

format_quote "Fashion anticipates, and elegance is a state of mind."

stars  In his 1995 book, "A Thousand Days of Magic: Dressing Jacqueline Kennedy for the White House," Mr. Cassini wrote, "All I remember about those days are nerves, and Jackie on the phone: 'Hurry, hurry, Oleg, I've got nothing to wear.'"

stars  A late convert to animal rights, he blamed himself for the loss of 250,000 leopards -- killed as women flocked to copy a coat he had designed for Jackie Kennedy. He renounced the killing of animals and stuck by his word by introducing micro-fiber fake furs in 1999, a fully synthetic material that retained the feel, warmth, and fashion of real fur. He was also an avid animal-lover and shared his Oyster Bay estate with a menagerie of pets including eighteen dogs, fifteen cats, thirty goats, six sheep, one half-ton sow, two Vietnamese potbellied pigs, one donkey, two parrots, twenty-two full-size horses, and two miniature horses.

stars  Was the first to introduce brightly colored shirts for men and was responsible for the short-lived trend of the Nehru jacket. Popularized the pillbox hat immortalized by Jackie Kennedy.

stars  He led a fast jet-set life and his reputation as a boulevardier for the most part overshadowed his credentials as a serious designer. He wrote his autobiography "In My Own Fashion" in 1987.

stars  Was the first to power a franchise via his name with over 50 licenses, including sunglasses, watches and children's closes. At one point his world-wide retail volume was estimated at $400 million.