India, Jan. 1 -- The clothes that I prefer are the garments that I invent for a lifestyle that does not yet exist, the world of tomorrow," said late French couturier Pierre Cardin once. As the year ends with the sad news of his demise at 98, we look back at how Cardin brilliantly possessed an inventive artistic sensibility balanced with a perfect sense of business.

He has been the only veteran in fashion who felt more proud while stating how he earned more through a pair of stockings than a haute-couture gown or an ensemble with a six-figure price tag. The entrepreneurial designer, who passed away on Tuesday, understood the important role his exclusive haute couture shows played in stoking consumer desire and became an early pioneer of l...