Geoffrey Beene, one of the godfathers of American fashion, died Tuesday at his home.

Beene, 77, died of complications of pneumonia, according to Russell Nardozza, vice president of Geoffrey Beene Inc.

The award-winning men and womens’ designer launched his own company on a shoestring budget and turned it into a fashion empire after veering away from previously established plans for his livelihood.

After a brief stint in medical school, Beene’s first industry job came when he signed on as an assistant in the display department of the downtown Los Angeles branch of I. Magnin, the clothing store chain. A move to New York City in 1947 was followed by enrollment at the Traphagen School of Fashion, followed by time in Paris to learn the business.

In 1963, Beene opened his own company in a champagne-colored showroom on Seventh Avenue, and the business was an instant success. In its first year, Geoffrey Beene Inc. sold $500,000 worth of clothes, a figure that would quadruple in just two years.

Beene's work is exhibited in museums around the world.

Beene was born in Haynesville, La. No services for Beene were planned, according to Narozza. He was survived by a sister, Barbara Ann Wellman of Conroe, Texas.