Fred Segal dies aged 87: LA fashion and retail icon dies following stroke

Fashion icon Fred Segal has died at the age of 87 following complications from a stroke, representatives have confirmed. 

The retail giant, whose stores have often been mentioned in popular culture including the film Clueless and the novel Less Than Zero, had provided clothing for A-list stars including Angelina Jolie, The Beatles, Diana Ross and The Jackson 5. 

Segal died on Thursday following complications from a stroke at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, his publicist confirmed. 

He first had a stroke in 2014, which he announced to friends and family at the end of the year, saying in his holiday card that ‘life as we knew it would never be the same,’ accompanied by a photo of him smoking a cigarette with his middle finger up and the slogan ‘Stroke this’. 

His daughter, Annie Segal, told the Hollywood Reporter at the time: ‘Doctors warned us there was a slim chance of survival, so we were prepared for the worst. It’s a miracle that he’s not only alive but living well under the circumstances.’

Segal’s first store opened in 1961 on Santa Monica Boulevard in West Hollywood, later moving to its best-known location on Melrose Avenue, selling designer denim. 

He is also known for pioneering the ‘shop-in-shop’ concept, stocking designer ranges and up-and-coming labels within his stores. 

His ivy-covered shop in West Hollywood was immortalised in 1995 hit film Clueless, in which Alicia Silverstone’s character, Cher, declares: ‘Lucy! Where’s my white collarless shirt from Fred Segal?’

The store also features in 2001’s Legally Blonde where Elle Woods, played by Reese Witherspoon, says: ‘Last week, I saw Cameron Diaz at Fred Segal, and I talked her out of buying this truly heinous angora sweater.’

Segal is survived by his wife Tina, five children, 10 grandchildren, two great grandchildren and his wife’s two children and grandson. 

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