The craftsman, whose eponymous company produces handbags and other fashionable accessories for women, inherited the artisan trade from his father before building his own factory in 1951. After years of selling hand-crafted sandals, Rossi began crafting his own designs, including the classic Opanca model, before his brand rose to prominence in his native Italy in the 1960s.

Rossi is the latest famous figure to pass away from the highly-contagious virus. Among the number of celebs who have contracted the disease, jazz patriarch Ellis Marsalis, country legend Joe Diffie, and Fountains of Wayne singer Adam Schlesinger have also died from COVID-19.

To keep up to date on the latest news about the coronavirus and to understand what you need to stay safe and healthy, check out the Coronavirus: Fact vs Fiction podcast from CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta.

About Brooke Morrison

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