Known for her love of fashion and her flair for style, Piaggi was a much-loved character in fashion circles. She was regularly spotted front row at fashion week around the globe dressed to the nines and in full colour make-up.

So unusual were Piaggi’s outfits that they inspired Chanel’s creative director, Karl Lagerfeld, to illustrate a book of her creations, in which he wrote, “Anna invents fashion.”

RELATED: Eccentric Fashion Icons

Lagerfeld wasn’t the only big fashion name enamoured with Piaggi – she was also the muse of British milliner Stephen Jones, and was referred to by Manolo Blahnik as “the world's last great authority on frocks.”

News of Piaggi’s death swept Twitter earlier today, with Stefano Gabbana of Dolce & Gabbana tweeting, “RIP Anna Piaggi...:((((( ciao grande Anna!!!”

Meanwhile fashionista Dita Von Teese tweeted, “So sad to hear that Anna Piaggi, one of my last icons of beauty & fashion has passed. She was the height of glamorous eccentricity. X"

In a final nod to Piaggi’s many years at Italian Vogue, Francesca Sozzi, editor and long-time colleague of Piaggi’s tweeted, "23 years working together, millions of D.P. done together. Will remember you for ever Anna".