Chris March, alum of Project Runway dies at 56

Chris March, a costume designer who appeared on "Project Runway" – and dressed up with big stars like Beyonce and Meryl Streep – is dead … TMZ confirmed.

Sources close to Chris's family told TMZ … that he had died Thursday afternoon at 1:45 pm of a heart attack. We were told that Chris had been in and out of the hospital for a year, but the heart attack was a surprise to doctors and loved ones.

Despite his medical battles – linked to a bad fall he suffered 2 years ago – we were told that Chris was still creating dresses until the end.

Chris was runner-up in Season 4 of Project Runway … he also appeared on Project Runway All Stars and had his own Bravo show called Mad Fashion. He also made cameos on "The Real Housewives of New York" … helping to find elaborate costumes for Sonja Morgan.

Renowned for his avant-garde style, Chris had significant leading clients. He designed for Madonna, Lady Gaga, Jennifer Coolidge and, as we have said, Bey and Streep. He was responsible for the 2010 Golden Globe and Meryl Academy Awards.

Chris has also designed costumes for Cirque du Soleil and a series of performances on Broadway.

He had struggled to fully recover from a fall in his June 2017 apartment where he had hit his head. Chris stayed there for 4 days. He finally woke up and called 911 before going to the hospital.

He had to be placed in a medically induced coma and suffered from an organ failure, including from a collapsed lung.

Chris was 56 years old.