Iconic Parisian fashion designer Sonia Rykiel has died at 86 after living with Parkinson's for two decades.

Diagnosed in 1997, Rykiel hid her disease from even her closest family for years. She disclosed it publicly in 2012, writing a book, N'oubliez Pas Que Je Joue (Don't Forget That I'm Acting), and telling the Guardian:

"Now when I go to the hospital, my doctor will say: 'How is that bitch of Parkinson's?' Which is what I've always called it. Everyone calls it that now -- the putain de Parkinson's, or p de P."

She also revealed to the paper that her mother had lived with the disease "40 years earlier, when there was no treatment at all."

Rykiel remained the Honorary President of her eponymous fashion house, which she launched in 1968. Her daughter Nathalie is now managing artistic director of the brand, which is currently working on its ready-to-wear collection in preparation for Paris Fashion Week next month.

French President Francois Hollande called Rykiel "a pioneer" who "invented not only a look, but also an attitude, a way of living and being," and tweeted that Rykiel's style "will remain a symbol of her remarkable work with color and nature, fluidity and light."