Gloria Vanderbilt, author, designer and icon dies at the age of 95

Gloria Vanderbilt, the artist, designer and fashion icon died on Monday, June 17 at the age of 95. The news was confirmed by her son Anderson Cooper during a heartfelt obituary on CNN. The anchor revealed that his mother died at home surrounded by close family and friends, after battling advanced stomach cancer. “Gloria Vanderbilt was an extraordinary woman, who loved life, and lived it on her own terms,” Anderson said. “She was a painter, a writer,and designer but also a remarkable mother, wife and friend."

Related: Five things to know about Gloria

The statement continued: “She was 95 years old but ask anyone close to her and they’d tell you, she was the youngest person they knew, the coolest and the most modern.” Gloria’s life was amplified in the public eye since she was a little girl. After her father’s death, she inherited his million-dollar fortune. The heiress made a name for herself, appearing in a variety of Broadway and television shows.

Gloria Vanderbilt died at the age of 95 

The New York City figure was also known for the mark she left in the fashion industry with her line of women’s denim. Gloria was a celebrated author. In 2004 she wrote a memoir dedicated to her love life called: It Seemed Important at the Time: A Romance Memoir. Along with her various talents, Gloria was known for her love life. In his video tribute, Anderson noted that his mother loved being in love.

The news was shared by her son Anderson Cooper via a video tribute 

At 17, Gloria married her first husband, a Hollywood agent named Pat DiCicco. In 1945 she married English conductor Leopold Stokowski. In 1956 she married Sidney Lumet, an American director and screenwriter. Gloria’s last marriage was to Wyatt Cooper in 1963, who died in 1978 after suffering a heart attack. Gloria was the mother of four sons, Christopher Stokowski, Leopold Stokowski, Anderson Cooper and Carter Cooper, who passed away in 1988.