Daniel Crémieux, founder of the French menswear brand Crémieux, died Friday at age 87 at his home in Aix-en-Provence, France, surrounded by his family. 

Crémieux was born on May 22, 1938, in Marseille, France. He moved to London at 17 to study English, and it was there that he discovered “the stylish elegance” of braces, badges, and checked pullovers worn by university students — fashion elements that were relatively unknown in France at the time. This experience led him to dream of one day creating a French preppy brand.

He took the first steps toward realizing this dream in the late 1960s when he traveled to New York to get a first-hand look at the U.S.’s preppy men’s brands and envisioned how he could translate that to his home country.  

Getting involved in fashion was perhaps inevitable for Crémieux since his father owned and operated clothing shops in the south of France. In Saint-Tropez in 1976, he launched his own eponymous brand and developed a logo of a golfer to mark the collection. The brand’s colorful take on preppy-inspired sweaters, shirts and regimental striped ties soon became popular in France. As he often said: “There is no future without a past.”

In 2000, Crémieux signed an exclusive licensing agreement with Dillard’s, which operates 280 department stores across the United States, to create a more accessibly priced collection for the American market. To this day, it is among the retailer’s top performing men’s brands.

In 2010, Crémieux relocated its offices and showroom to New York City and starting in 2014, the company began opening stores globally, with locations in New York City, Palm Beach, Bal Harbour, Paris, Saint-Tropez, Capri and London.

Over the years, the logo has evolved into a crest with the name on top and a 38 embedded within — the year of its founder’s birth.

“It’s impossible to capture in just a few words what my father meant to me,” said Stéphane Crémieux, Daniel’s son and the company’s creative director and chief executive officer. “I wasn’t prepared for this loss, and no one ever is. We used to call each other at least four times a day about business, and lately, I had been traveling to see him every week. He was a generous, fun and authentic person. He taught me everything about this business, and I cherished our time together at work. We shared the same vision. He truly created the foundation for what I enjoy designing today for our Dillard’s department stores and our standalone shops — a luxurious, elegant collection for men.” 

“We are all heartbroken by Daniel’s passing,” said William Dillard 3^rd, senior vice president of the Arkansas-based retailer. “Our hearts go out to Stephane, Gen and the whole Cremieux family.  I first met Daniel in 1999 when we were working on a partnership to bring the brand to the U.S.  I was taken with his unique take on fashion, his keen sense of humor, his overall humility and easygoing manner coupled with a fierce determination.  I felt instantly that we would have a long-term relationship. As far as I’m concerned, he’s a legend.  He was so fun to be with.  Working with him and Stephane has been a dream. We’re going to miss him.”  

Daniel Crémieux is survived by his wife, Geneviève; his daughter, Sophie, his son, Stéphane and his wife, Géraldine, as well as his four granddaughters, and her daughter, Annecha; and their three daughters, Lou, Carla, and Sasha.