Claude Montana, the French fashion designer who rose to prominence in the 1980s, has passed away

Known for his XXL shoulders and wasp waists, French fashion designer Claude Montana, who died on Friday at the age of 76 in Paris, established himself as an icon of 1980s fashion before experiencing setbacks that sidelined him from the fashion scene.

His career, marked by ups and downs, as he described it himself, was distinguished by his timeless "Easy Rider" style: leather jacket, leather pants, and cowboy boots.

Revealed in the 1970s and adored in the 1980s, Montana reached the pinnacle of recognition in 1990 when he became the artistic director of the house of Lanvin, which was then celebrating its centenary. He consecutively won two Golden Thimbles, the highest distinction in the fashion world.

Subsequently, he faced financial and personal difficulties and disappeared from the forefront of the fashion world around the turn of the 21st century.

Born on June 29, 1947, in Paris, Claude Montamat, his real name, grew up in an affluent environment. His mother was a German Protestant, and his father was of Catalan origin.

He had no intention of following the studious path of his older brother. After graduating from high school, he worked as an extra at the Paris Opera before heading to England, drawn by the countercultural movement of "Swinging London."

His parents disapproved of his choices and lifestyle and cut ties with him. Permanently. Their son's success did not change this.

However, he remained very close to Jacqueline, his younger sister, who accompanied him in his professional projects and served as his assistant for years.

In London, the young blond man with a frizzy mustache began making papier-mâché jewelry. He was noticed by Vogue magazine, but success did not really follow, and he did not have a work permit.

Returning to Paris, he worked as a pattern maker at the leather specialist Mac Douglas. "My profession is fashion," he said to himself then. He held his first fashion show in 1975. He immediately made a splash with his flashy colors and extravagant outfits with rugby player shoulders.

He launched his own brand in 1979. The man, rather discreet and a regular at the Palace nightclub, a fashionable Parisian spot, became one of the star designers of Paris.

His theatrical fashion shows were events. "Great shows," said Christian Lacroix.

After declining Dior's offer to become its artistic director and take charge of both haute couture and ready-to-wear, he joined Lanvin, which aimed to revitalize its collections. A great success.

Like Jean Paul Gaultier and Thierry Mugler before him, he also launched his own perfume, which did not do very well. His collaboration with Lanvin ended in 1997, he went bankrupt, and had to sell his brand.

On the private life side, misfortune struck. Wallis Franken, his muse-wife whom he had married a few years earlier, died after throwing herself out of their apartment window in 1996.

He had health problems and in 2008, he was attacked at home by a former go-go dancer he had flirted with at a nightclub. An assault that left him with serious injuries. He also had to face a sordid trial where his attacker accused him of transmitting hepatitis B to him.

The man who loved to create above all made sporadic returns to fashion but never returned to the forefront.

"Yes, I miss fashion... terribly," he confided bitterly to Gala in 2016. "I am a veteran now. I have been forgotten."