The creative force behind Christian Dior’s most iconic collections for three decades passed away on Sept. 6 in Châtillon-sur-Seine, France, at age 97.

The Saint-Nicolas church will hold religious services on Sept. 13. Christian Dior’s founder, Bohan, was Dior’s longest-serving designer.

Known for his even-keeled nature and proclivity for designs for “real women,” he often boasted of his affinity for a “timeless notion of beauty.”