Fashion designer Jean-Louis Scherrer has died.

The 78-year-old designer, who has dressed Hollywood's finest including Sophia Loren and Jacqueline Kennedy, passed away in a care clinic in Paris on Wednesday (19.06.13) after suffering from a lengthy illness.

Jean-Louis began his fashion career alongside the late Yves Saint Laurent as a design assistant at Dior, and stayed on when Christian Dior died in 1957 and Saint Laurent was promoted to creative director.

Saint Laurent's business partner, Pierre Berge, took to Twitter to pay tribute to the designer.

He wrote: ''I liked him. He came from the world of haute couture. The authentic one, the one of yesteryear. A bygone world. He had talent.''

Shortly after he started his own label, Jean-Louis became known for providing a more conservative alternative to Saint Laurent's bold creations - his styles ranged from animal prints to polka-dot dresses.

He once revealed that his time at Dior was greatly influential and credited the brand for making fashion into a business by changing the lengths and shapes of their designs every season.

His funeral is due to take place on June 26 with a cremation at the Pere Lachaise cemetery in Paris.