Allan Adler, who became known as the “silversmith to the stars” and was commissioned to design crowns for Miss Universe and mini-Oscars for Academy Award winners, died Tuesday, Dec. 3, in Burbank, Calif., from a stroke, The Associated Press reports. He was 86.

Adler was known for designing silverware and holloware in geometric shapes that were inspired by the Modernist art movement of the early 1900s. His craft attracted actors and actresses, several of whom took private silversmith lessons from him, including Katherine Hepburn, who occasionally worked in his shop.

His popularity landed him high-profile jobs, such as designing crowns for Miss Universe and Miss U.S.A., as well as silver bowls, candlesticks and goblets for his celebrity clientele.

Heads of state were among his admirers. Adler designed a silver coffee urn to be used at a fund-raising event for John F. Kennedy during his successful 1960 presidential campaign. Later, he designed a silver hairbrush for Winston Churchill.

Other items he made included a silver belt for singer Michael Jackson and a silver lunchbox for Carol Channing, who carries the tin to banquets and awards shows.

His work also earned him honorary awards from the Smithsonian Institution and the Museum of Modern Art.

JCK