Perry Ellis, who died in 1986, was a sportswear legend whose vision was forward-thinking and innovative rather than mired in tradition.

In the late 1970s, the Portsmouth, Virginia native made his mark on the fashion world with a signature look around values such as classic, sporty, young and quintessentially American.

Ellis believed fashion was fun and should never be taken too seriously. He embraced patterns, pops of color, new shapes and never-before-seen styles, and, in the process, rewrote the rules and redefined American sportswear -with clothes that were not just ‘fashion, for fashion’s sake,’ but simplified style choices.

Ellis received his first of nine Coty Awards in 1979, and was named CFDA Designer of the Year Award in 1982. In 1984, he was named President of the CFDA.

“I was determined to change the course of fashion,” Ellis once said, “to move away from what I call the pretentiousness of clothes – to design clothes that are more obtainable, more relaxed, but ultimately more stylish and witty.”