Gianfranco Ferre :( so sad

Fashion icons gather for funeral of Ferre

Italian fashion designer Gianfranco Ferre has been buried in his home town of Legnano, Italian news agency ANSA reported, with crowds of mourners overflowing the local church.

Ferre died on Sunday at Milan's San Raffaele hospital after a brain hemorrhage. He was 62.

Fellow designers Giorgio Armani, Valentino Garavani and Donatella Versace attended the service, which started at 2:30 p.m. in Legnano, about 30 km (20 miles) northwest of Milan.

Ferre's coffin was covered in his favorite red roses, ANSA said. An urn of red roses, along with other flowers, was also placed outside the company's headquarters in Milan's posh Brera district, according to a Reuters witness.

Legnano's church of San Magno di Legnano was too small to take all the mourners, who spilled out into the square outside, the news agency said.

Armani, one of Milan fashion's best-known names, said on Sunday that Ferre -- some 10 years his junior -- used "intellectualism and artistry" in designs that he admired.

Versace, whose brother Gianni was murdered 10 years ago, said on Sunday she had lost a friend as well, describing Ferre as "a gentleman from another time".

Ferre was known for his sharp, tailored women's suits and furs. He was artistic director at French fashion house Christian Dior for some seven years from 1989.

His spring/summer menswear 2008 menswear collection will be presented as planned on Sunday -- the last under the hand of the bespectacled, bearded designer.

Il Sole 24 Ore newspaper said on Tuesday it was too early to say who might take Ferre's place as key designer. It added that IT Holding, the group that owns Ferre, had a scheduled meeting with analysts on June 27 and could make an announcement about the line's future then.