French-Tunisian designer Azzedine Alaia, whose timeless gowns won an army of devotees around the world, has died at the age of 77, his couture house said, sparking an outpouring of tributes from across the world.

Alaia, who rose to fame in the 1980s, refused to march to the beat of international fashion weeks, releasing his collections in his own time with scant concern for publicity.

Praise poured in online with designer Ines de la Fressange tweeting: "Small in stature but huge in the world. Adieu Azzedine Alaia."

Barbadian superstar Rihanna Instagrammed a picture of the designer kissing her at a dinner with the caption, "my dear ALAIA.... you will live on forever. rip."

"We have lost a designer of great talent. It is very sad news," fellow creator Pierre Cardin told AFP.