France's Alexandre de Paris dead at 85

PARIS , Jan. 14 (UPI) -- Alexandre de Paris, the French hairstylist who created iconic looks for stars such as Elizabeth Taylor, Greta Garbo and Lauren Bacall, has died. He was 85.

Born Louis Alexandre Raimon, he began his career as an apprentice in a Cannes salon in 1938 when he was 16. Raimon worked for leading designers for many years and was known as a hairdresser to the stars by the late 1940s, the BBC said.

In 1957, Raimon opened his own Paris salon and won numerous awards for his creations throughout the 1960s.

Recognized as one of the founders of "haute coiffure," Raimon designed Taylor's hair for the 1963 big-screen epic "Cleopatra."

Raimon's family confirmed his death but offered no details, the BBC said.