Hungarian fashion designer murdered

BUDAPEST - A Hungarian fashion designer who rose to international fame in the 1980s, Tamas Kiraly, was murdered Sunday at his home in Budapest, state news agency MTI reported.

A statement on the Budapest police website said a murder investigation had been launched after a 60-year-old man was found beaten to death by an unnamed assailant early Sunday morning at his home in the Hungarian capital.

MTI said police sources confirmed the victim was Kiraly. Contacted by AFP on Monday, the police refused to confirm but did not deny the reports.

According to newspaper reports, the designer - who collaborated with big names like Vivienne Westwood and Jean-Paul Gaultier - was hosting a social event at his home when the crime took place.

Kiraly gained international fame in the 1980s, a rare feat for a fashion designer from Hungary, which was still a communist country at that time.

His work appeared in fashion magazines like Vogue and ID, and was also featured by British, French, Japanese, and Spanish print and broadcast media.

He last presented his creations at the ELLE fashion show in Budapest in March.

Kiraly was known for his provocative and spectacular clothing designs, often comprising materials not commonly used by designers including wood and metal.