Luxury fashion show

HEAD PIECES Headpieces collection

Creations by legendary French designer Paul Poiret, the man credited with liberating women from their corsets.

2 · Description of the garment Dress in chinoiserie print by Paoul Dufy.

Paul Poiret’s “Cavalier Hindou” brocade satin evening gown.,Fabric designed by Raoul Dufy for Bianchini Ferier - “Chasse Persane”, 1920s, big woven label with Iribe rose, handwritten reverse No 44530, “Robe Patinerre, Baroness de Lagrange”, partially un-picked gown of grey satin woven with Persian hunters, with wide flared skirt and piped trim in the waist.

Culture & Couture RETROSPECTIVE COLLECTION

Culture & Couture

Paul Poiret Dress in chinoiserie print by Paoul Dufy

Paul Poiret Dress in chinoiserie print by Paoul Dufy

Creations by legendary French designer Paul Poiret, the man credited with liberating women from their corsets.

1 · Artist/Maker: Paul Poiret (Paris, France, April 20, 1879 - April 30, 1944)

2 · Description of the garment Dress in chinoiserie print by Paoul Dufy.

Paul Poiret “Cavalier Hindou” brocade satin evening gown.Fabric designed by Raoul Dufy for Bianchini Ferier - “Chasse Persane”, 1920s, big woven label with Iribe rose, handwritten reverse No 44530, “Robe Patinerre, Baroness de Lagrange”, partially un-picked gown of grey satin woven with Persian hunters, with wide flared skirt, and piped trim in the waist.

3 · Object: Special event dress (especially dedicated to the Opera)

4 · Place of origin: Paris, France

5 · Date: 1909.

6 · Interesting Facts: In1909, Raoul Dufy was commissioned by Paul Poiret to design stationery for the fashion label. « Nous rêvions de rideaux éclatants et de robes décorées dans le goût de Botticelli. Sans mesurer mon sacrifice, je donnais à Dufy, qui alors débutait dans la vie, les moyens de réaliser quelques-uns de ses rêves » Paul Poiret.

Raoul Dufy (France, June 3, 1877 – March 23, 1953) was a French Fauvist painter. He developed a colourful, decorative style that became fashionable for designs for ceramics and textiles, as well as decorative patterns for Public buildings. He is noted for his tableaux of open-air social events. He was also a draftsman, printmaker, book illustrator, theatre set designer, a designer of furniture, and a planner of public spaces.

7 · Belonged to: Unknown (Ref. Denise Boulet).

Culture & Couture

Sonia Delaunay Shawl embroidered in gold thread

Sonia Delaunay Shawl embroidered in gold thread

Delaunay was a Jewish-French artist who, along with her husband Robert Delaunay and others, co-founded the Orphism Art movement, noted for its use of strong colours and geometric shapes.

Her work extends to painting, textile design and stage design. She was the first living female artist to have a retrospective exhibition at the Louvre in 1964, and in 1975 was named an Officer of the French Legion d’Honeur.

Her work in modern design included the concepts of geometric abstraction, the integration of furniture, fabrics, wall coverings and clothing.

1 · Artist/Maker: Sonia Delaunay (November 14, 1885 – December 5, 1979).

2 · Description of the garment Shawl embroidered in gold thread. Inspired by flamenco dancers.

3 · Object: Evening accessory

4 · Place of origin: Madrid, Spain.

5 · Date: 1916.

6 · Interesting Facts: When World War I was declared in 1914, Sonia Delaunay was in the Basque border town of Fuenterrabía with her husband, and they did not return to Paris until 1920. During this period, they travelled to Madrid and to the village of Vila do Condo in Portugal, and Valença da Minho, where she painted still-lives and market scenes.

While in Madrid, she had become interested in Flamenco singers, and continued to do variations of this subject in Portugal (like Flamenco Singer, 1916). Sonia Delaunay claimed that living in the Iberian Peninsula had opened her eyes to the very origin of light.

7 · Belonged to: Unknown (Ref. The soprano Aga Lahovska).

Culture & Couture

Gabrielle Chanel Black lace cocktail dress

Gabrielle Chanel Black lace cocktail dress

Chanel was a French fashion designer and the founder of the eponymous brand Chanel. She is the only fashion designer who appears on the list of Time Magazine’s 100 most influential people of the 20th century.

Along with Paul Poiret, Chanel was credited with liberating women from the constraints of the “corseted silhouette” and popularizing the acceptance of a sporty, casual-chic approach as the female standard in the period after the War. A prolific fashion creator, Chanel’s influence extended beyond the sewing world, her aesthetic was translated into jewellery, handbags, and fragrances.

1 · Artist/Maker: Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel (August 19, 1883 –January 10, 1971)

2 · Description of the garment Black lace cocktail dress

3 · Object: Cocktail Dress

4 · Place of origin: New York

5 · Date: 1932

6 · Interesting Facts: In 1926, American Vogue named Coco Chanel’s black dress “a Ford”, alluding to “its simplicity and its potential for an enormous and long-lasting success. It was the little black dress of Chanel that inspired the famous remark of her competitor Paul Poiret: “What has Chanel invented? Deluxe poverty”.

The Chanel little black became a symbol of chic and sophisticated simplicity.

7 · Belonged to: Ana Gayo.

Culture & Couture

Jacques Fath A-line, fitted waist dress with half-sleeves. Floral raw silk

Jacques Fath A-line, fitted waist dress with half-sleeves. Floral raw silk

Jacques Fath, along with Christian Dior and Pierre Balmain, was one of the great French couturiers of the Golden Age. He started his small Couture business in 1937 but it soon grew to be a big atelier after his creations proved so popular. In 1949, he signed an agreement with American manufacturer Joseph Halpert to design two ready-to-wear collections, which was one of the first such licensing deals (something that Dior would go in for in a big way).

Jacques was known for his hourglass designs and his genius with pleats, but, alas, he died young, in 1954. His very chic wife, former model Genevieve Boucher de la Bruyere, took over the running of the House until 1957, after which time it was closed. The label was reincarnated later as a perfume house, for a time it produced apparel again, and these days it makes luxury leather goods only, which is why the name doesn”t have quite the same ring to it as the continuously run Couture houses like Chanel and Dior. But Jacques’ creations were truly astounding.

1 · Artist/Maker: Jacques Fath (Maisons-Laffitte, France, September 6, 1912 – Paris, France, November 13, 1954)

2 · Description of the garment A-line, fitted waist dress with half-sleeves. Floral raw silk. The qualities of weight and texture of this silk brocade lend themselves well to the construction and shape of draped, goddess, bouffant styles.

3 · Object: Cocktail dress.

4 · Place of origin: Paris, France.

5 · Date: 1952.

6 · Interesting Facts: World War II left women craving for glamour, style and swathes of fabric where scraps of material had once existed. Full-skirted and cinched-waist designs fulfilled all the early dreams of the feminine woman in the early 1950s. As a new, more liberated society evolved, women moved toward freer, more relaxed clothes and began to move away from the dress rules and associated formality of decades prior. Jacques Fath is determined to reinvent seduction. Their designs were sexy and elegant, and were aimed at young people who had wanted to exhibit a slightly provocative glamour. The asymmetry and folds, broken lines or zigzag, enhanced the dynamism of his clothes, colours and patterns. He was a favourite of the fashion magazines and photographers of the 1950s. As he said: “One cannot understand the workings of Haute Couture without the realization that it is based on publicity”.

7 · Belonged to:

8 · Celebrities dressed by designer:

Unknown (Ref. Bettina, his muse and wife.

Ava Gardner,Greta Garbo,

Simone Micheline Bodin)

Rita Hayworth etc.

Culture & Couture

Lanvin-Castillo Embroidery skirt

Lanvin-Castillo Embroidery skirt

Lanvin may be the oldest fashion house in Paris, but it has also managed to remain one of the most relevant. Through many years and many designers, it has stayed true to the vision of its founder, Madame Jeanne Lanvin, always valuing fine craftsmanship and impeccable ornamentation above all else.

1 · Artist/Maker: Antonio Cánovas del Castillo (1908 – 1984)

2 · Description of the garment Slim fit jacket and long, ankle-lengthskirt in black silk embroidered with white roses.

3 · Object: Evening gown

4 · Place of origin:

5 · Date:

Paris.

1957

6 · Interesting Facts: In 1950, Cánovas del Castillo succeeds the late founder of the house, Jeanne Lanvin.

Born in Madrid in 1908, he flees from Spain in 1936 at the start the Civil War. He goes to Paris, where he quickly finds work in various fashion houses, even designing accessories for Chanel.

Between 1937 and 1945, he comes to work with Cocteau in his film “Beauty and the Beast”. In 1945, Elizabeth Arden convinces him to go to New York, where he becomes the House main designer and also starts to work on Broadway and the New York Metropolitan Opera.

In 1950, he receives a call from the Countess Jean de Polignac, Marie-Blanche (daughter of Jeanne Lanvin), who wants to revitalize the label. His presentation is spectacular, with a collection of dresses made of white satin. It was such a success and it received such acclaim that his name became part of the brand, even appearing on labels as Lanvin-Castillo.

7 · Belonged to:

8 · Celebrities dressed by designer:

Unknown (Ref. Bettina, his muse and wife.

From Marlene Dietrich or Queens of Italy

Simone Micheline Bodin)

and Romania to Grace Kelly

Culture & Couture

Carven Silver and gold brocade long dress

Carven Silver and gold brocade long dress

Also known by her birth name of Tomasso, Carven is a French dressmaker born 31 August 1909 in Chatellerault in Vienne, founder of the House of Carven, married first to Philippe Mallet (brother of Robert Mallet-Stevens), then René Grog (1896 - 1981), a Swiss industrialist. She became Righteous Among the Nations in 2000 and Commander of the Order of the Legion d’Honeur in 2009. In 2014 she reached 104 years of age, she is the oldest of French personalities.

1 · Artist/Maker: Marie-Louise Carven was born in 1909.

2 · Description of the garment Greenish blue long dress with gold brocade on the sternum.

3 · Object: Evening dress

4 · Place of origin: Paris, France.

5 · Date: 1962

6 · Interesting Facts: With looks rooted in African and Southeast Asian countries, their creations were less sophisticated and more youthful than those of the designers of the time. His designs in green and white stripes became famous and adopted the name “ma griffe”, that is, “my brand” in French. In 1957, she released her first eau de toilette, Vetiver.

Carven is obsessed with being surrounded by beauty, creates models based on upholstery and drapery, imagines flattering and wearable volumes. She created the bluff line of Chinese influence.

Her evening dresses with flowers, glitter and colourful embroidery also remind of Persia and China.

Carven was a great success in the 1960s and 1970s in Japan and became known for designing hostess uniforms for various airlines.

7 · Celebrities dressed by designer: Brigitte Bardot, Elizabeth Taylor, Raquel Welch and Claudia Cardinale.

Culture & Couture

Coco Chanel Jacket and skirt matching set

Coco Chanel Jacket and skirt matching set

When she was twelve, her mother died of tuberculosis and her father disowned her. Marked by her hard childhood, Coco was a very hyperactive woman, considered ill-tempered and somewhat recalcitrant by their employees, and was a perfectionist and extremely thorough in his office.

1 · Artist/Maker: Gabrielle Bonheur (Coco Chanel) (August 19, 1883 – January 10, 1971)

2 · Description of the garment Jacket and skirt matching set. The set launched in 1925 and became the star of the label: a suit with skirt and matching jacket with long sleeves, no collar and edging.

3 · Object: Evening set

4 · Place of origin: Paris, France

5 · Date: 1939

6 · Interesting Facts: When the June 28, 1914 World War I broke out, Coco realized that the times demanded a much more sporty and functional style, adapted to the new circumstances. The first thing she did was remove the female costume corset to give more freedom of movement to women. Two years later, she introduced the star item in their collections, a fabric that no one had previously used for high fashion but was loved by their customers. With point drafted the jersey, an almost masculine garment, which was followed by the charming chemise dress, a dress shirt with no waist or decorations that enhanced the female breasts, which was further highlighted by wearing pearls.

Her innovations went even further: not only dared she shorten the length of skirts and uncover the feminine ankle, but she made women cut their hair when, at a night at the opera, she appeared with short garçonne hair. She created the style that marked the end of an era. She had the audacity of promoting sun exposure at a time when bronzing was considered synonymous with vulgarity, and to impose her extreme thinness (,,even with the hardships imposed by the war) to all her customers.

7 · Celebrities dressed by designer: Katharine Hepburn, Grace Kelly, Elizabeth Taylor and Gloria Swanson.

Culture & Couture

Christian Dior Raw silk and tulle cape

Christian Dior Raw silk and tulle cape

Christian Dior, the magical name that for decades has been synonymous worldwide with French fashion charm, elegance and style. Regardless of the inherently ephemeral nature of this creative sphere and the endless cycle of seasonal collections, the House of Christian Dior has resisted somehow the cruelties of Time: Season after season, Dior, almost paradoxically, has built his own timelessness, leaving aside the ephemeral and placed in the royal tradition. Despite the untimely death of its founder, the House of Dior has grown and branched out beyond its original field, that of Haute Couture, to acquire the far more global dimension it enjoys today. MonsieurDior’s personal correspondence reveals visionary words: “”In troubled times like ours, we must uphold our tradition of luxury, the jewel of our culture”.

1 · Artist/Maker: Yves Saint Laurent (Oran, Algeria, August 1, 1936 - Paris, June 1, 2008)

2 · Description of the garment Raw silk and tulle cape, wide stripes pattern in black and white.

3 · Place of origin: Paris, France

4 · Date: 1958

5 · Interesting Facts: Belongs to the Trapeze Line collection of 1958.

This design was a triangular shape, it flared gently from narrow shoulders to a shorter, wider hemline just covering the knees. By AAutumn, all of Paris was wearing this shape dress.

In 1958, Yves Saint Laurent, at just 21 years old and having taken over design duties from Christian Dior the previous year, presented the House’s WWinter collection at Blenheim Palace to Princess Margaret for some reason, a guest of the Duke and Duchess of Marlborough. The event was to benefit the British Red Cross as the 1650 guests paid 5 guineas each. The models were referred to then as “mannequins”, the French word for model.

From the film of the event: “A short evening gown with chic and style such as only the House of Dior - according to the House of Dior - can give”. And at the end “Dior himself is dead. But in the world of Haute Couture, it’s “The King is dead, long live the King...” Yves St. Laurent’s first collection for Dior was called the “Trapeze” line and it was a great success.

The newspaper headlines read: “Saint Laurent has saved France, the great Dior tradition will continue”.

7 · Celebrities dressed by designer: Eva Perón, Leslie Caron, Audrey Hepburn, Grace Kelly, Kim Novak, Elizabeth Taylor, Marilyn Monroe, Diana of Wales, Carla Bruni and many more.

Culture & Couture

Christian Dior Black silk dress

Christian Dior Black silk dress

The most influential fashion designer of the late 1940s and 1950s, Christian Dior (1905 1957) dominated fashion after World War II with the hourglass silhouette of his voluptuous New Look. He also defined a new business model in the post-war fashion industry by establishing Dior as a global brand across a wide range of products.

1 · Artist/Maker: Christian Dior (January 21, 1905 – October 23, 1957)

2 · Description of the garment Black silk dress. Clean and simple lines, harmoniously drawing the female figure.

3 · Object: Cocktail dress.

4 · Place of origin: Paris, France

5 · Date: 1957

6 · Interesting Facts: Dior shows his technical mastery and vision with his “petit noir”. As a single goal: to enhance the feminine curves. ”A little black dress is an essential part of the wardrobe of a woman”. Christian Dior.

7 · Celebrities dressed by designer: Sofia Loren, Eva Perón, Leslie Caron, Audrey Hepburn, Grace Kelly, Kim Novak, Elizabeth Taylor, Marilyn Monroe, Diana de Gales, Carla Bruni and many more.

Culture & Couture

Dior by Yves Saint Laurent New Look Blue dress

Dior by Yves Saint Laurent New Look Blue dress

At 18, Saint Laurent went to work at Dior, although his initial tasks were rather prosaic: decorating the studio and designing some accessories.

Surprisingly, Christian Dior chose him as his successor as Chief Designer of the House. Saint

Laurent and his mother were surprised by Dior’s decision, who looked too young to retire. He would die of a heart attack the same year. In

1957, at 21, Saint Laurent became the youngest designer of French Haute Couture. His 1958 Spring collection

achieved resounding success by expanding on the

New Look

declaring a bankruptcy that seemed the only safe route.

style coined by

Dior. This

success helped saved the label from

But the later creations of Saint Laurent reaped harsh criticism, and his

career at Dior was interrupted in 1960, when he was called to meet with the French military service, coinciding with the Algerian war of independence.

Saint Laurent had eluded service until then thanks to influences by Dior’s owner, Marcel Boussac, and

it has been conjectured that when

Boussac

wanted to get rid of

Yves,

he, pulled the necessary strings to call him for duty.

Saint Laurent lasted just 20 days in the army. Due to the humiliations inflicted by some friends, he suffered a stress attack and was admitted to a military hospital.

There, he learned that Dior had rejected

was admitted to the psychia tric hospital

him.

This worse ned his emotional state

and he

Val -de - Grâce, a center notorious for its aggressive therapies. Saint Laurent went

through electric shocks and he was given sedatives and other drugs, a dark time that helps explain his later emotional problems and addictions. In late

1960, Saint Laurent left the psychiatric ward and, returning to Paris, he saw that his replacement at

Dior was Marc Bohan, whose designer style was closer to “ladylike “ (old-fashioned female). Saint Laurent sued the company for injury with the help of his friend

Pierre Bergé, and with the money received, plus the financial support from business man

J.Mac k Robinson of Atlanta, he created his own Couture House.

1 · Artist/Maker: Yves Sant Laurent (Oran, Algeria, August 1, 1936 - Paris, June 1, 2008)

2 · Description of the garment New Look blue dress by House of Dior, 1960 collection, in printed silk satin with pleated skirt.

3 · Object: Evening dress

4 · Place of origin: Paris, France

5 · Date: 1958

6 · Interesting Facts: Saint Laurent was hailed as a national hero. Emboldened by his success, his designs became more daring, culminating in the 1960 coup inspired by the existentialists street looks at the Saint-Germain-des-Près cafés and jazz clubs.

7 · Celebrities dressed by designer: Marlene Dietrich, Grace Kelly, Eva Perón and Jackie Kennedy among other countless women.

Culture & Couture

Balenciaga Long coat in ivory raw silk.

Balenciaga Long coat in ivory raw silk.

Better known simply as Balenciaga, Cristóbal was a prestigious Spanish fashion designer, considered one of the most important creators of Haute Couture, who worked primarily in the city of Paris for more than three decades. Previously, he had trained as a tailor and owned several labels in Spain. Contemporary to Christian Dior and Coco Chanel, he is the biggest Spanish designer Couture history.

1 · Artist/Maker: Cristóbal Balenciaga (Getaria, Guipúzcoa, January 21, 1895 – Valencia, Spain, March 23, 1972)

2 · Description of the garment Long coat in ivory raw silk.

3 · Object: Late evening coat

4 · Place of origin: Paris, France

5 · Date: 1960

6 · Interesting Facts: Christian Dior, a would-be rival, stood in awe of his Spanish counterpart: “Haute Couture is like an orchestra, whose conductor is Balenciaga”, he once said. “We other couturiers are the musicians and we follow the directions he gives”.Even the sharp tongue of Coco Chanel softened in deference to his skills: “Balenciaga is a couturier in the truest sense of the word. Only he is capable of cutting material, assembling a creation, and sewing it by hand. The others are simply fashion designers”.

7 · Celebrities dressed by designer: Pauline de Rothschild, Bunny Mellon, Marella Agnelli, Hope Portocarrero, Gloria Guinness, and Mona von Bismarck, Fabiola of Belgium, Jackie Kennedy and most influential women in the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s.

Culture & Couture

Jean Patou A-line silk dress.

Jean Patou A-line silk dress.

Born in 1880 in Normandy, Jean Patou was a very impulsi ve and extravagant designer, instinctively attracted to the world of fashion. In 1912 he opened his Couture House. Jean Patou was famous for its knitting, and invented the concept of creating sportswear loose, flowing shirts. Its ultra modern and innovative designs received critical acclaim as a fashion designer of Couture and sportswear.

Although known for their extraordinary Haute Couture designs, it is certain that his legacy perfume is a reflection of his flamboyant and demanding temperament. Each fragrance has its own history, and was usually related to current events. Jean Patou was characterized by the pursuit of perfection and this would lead to offering perfumes to a new generation of women worldwide.

1 · Artist/Maker: Christian Lacroix (May 16, 1951).

2 · Description of the garment A-line silk dress.

3 · Object: Party dress

5 · Date: 1987

4 · Place of origin: Paris, France

6 · Interesting Facts: Jean Patou by Christian Lacroix His success at home is great, captivating critics and clients with his bold colors, flashy and controversial skirt “pouf”. In 1987, a week after his last show, Jean Patou was sent to create a new label under the wing of the LVMH group.

This dress was never sold or produced, it was never manufactured and also marks the end of the House.

7 · Belonged to: Unknown.

Culture & Couture

Louis Feraud White sequined dress, patterned with black sequins

Louis Feraud White sequined dress, patterned with black sequins

Louis Féraud was a French fashion designer and artist. In 1950, Louis Féraud created his first “Maison de Couture” in Cannes and by 1955 had established a Couture House in Paris on the Rue du Faubourg Saint Honoré. From the mid-1950s he was dressing the Parisian elite and designed the wardrobe of Brigitte Bardot for many of her movies. It wasn’t however until 1958 that he presented his first Haute Couture collection in Paris.

1 · Artist/Maker: Louis Féraud (February 13, 1921 – December 28, 1999)

2 · Description of the garment White sequined dress, patterned with black sequins. This fade between white and black sequined dress is one of the most imitated works of the designer.

3 · Object: Evening set

4 · Place of origin: Paris, France.

5 · Date: 1969

6 · Interesting Facts: Louis Féraud undoubtedly belongs to the group of designers that are still influencing French fashion today. In the 1950s, Féraud started his fashion career on the Cote d’Azur, France’s rendezvous for the rich and beautiful, where he met with stars like Brigitte Bardot and Roger Vadim. He did not go to Paris, the capital of luxury, until later to set up a fashion empire, the awareness and good reputation of which has been unquestioned for more than half a century now. Since the outset of his career, women, sun and “joie de vivre” have always been essential sources of inspiration for the designer, who, apart from working in the field of fashion, also painted and achieved recognition as an artist.

7 · Celebrities dressed by designer: Brigitte Bardot, Paulette Goddard, Kim Novak, Catherine Deneuve, Mireille Mathieu and Sabina Anzema.

Culture & Couture

Givenchy Purple and gold long dress

Givenchy Purple and gold long dress

Givenchy

1952. His debut collection was a hit. It featured separates such as long skirts and tailored blouses, including the “Bettina blouse”, named after model Bettina Graziani. In his following collections, he also designed elegant evening gowns, feminine hats and tailored suits, and the Givenchy name became synonymous with Parisian chic. In 1953, Givenchy met Spanish designer Cristóbal Balenciaga, whom he greatly admired. In 1957, the two designers teamed up to introduce a new silhouette called the “sack”, a loose form without any waistline. By the 1960s, Givenchy, setting new trends and embracing certain aspects of youth culture, had begun to favour shorter hemlines and straighter silhouettes in his designs. opened his own

Fashion House

in

1 · Artist/Maker: Count Hubert James Marcel Taffin de Givenchy (February 21, 1927).

2 · Description of the garment Purple and gold long party dress with belt. This dress from the early 70’s is the epitome of timeless elegance as provided by the aristocratic life and genius, Hubert de Givenchy.

4 · Place of origin: Paris, France.

5 · Date: Early 1970s

6 · Interesting Facts: French fashion designer Hubert de Givenchy and Audrey Hepburn created a screen image of timeless glamour. This glamour has now permeated every aspect of our lives and has become the epitome of class.

Together they created the iconic look of glamour in the 20th Century movies. “His are the only clothes in which I am myself. He is far more than a couturier, he is a creator of personality”, said Audrey Hepburn.

Jackie Kennedy loved wearing bright colours such as pink, yellow, red and ivory. Her own personal fashion icon was Audrey Hepburn and, throughout her life, Jackie’s style would always feature the flavour of Hepburn’s old Hollywood glamor. As a result, Jackie chose Hubert de Givenchy as her go-to designer, since Givenchy created looks for Audrey Hepburn in “Breakfast at Tiffany”s.”

7 · Celebrities dressed by designer: Givenchy designed for many celebrity clients, but his best-known client was Audrey Hepburn. Givenchy and Hepburn met in 1953, when she was just a rising star; he designed her costumes for Sabrina (1954) and helped define her classic, gamine style. Over the following decade, he designed her costumes for Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961), Charade (1963), Paris When It Sizzles (1964) and How to Steal a Million (1966).

The Givenchy brand also released a fragrance inspired by Hepburn called L’Interdit. Among the other well knownwomen of style dressed by Givenchy were US first lady Jacqueline Kennedy, who wore a Givenchy gown during an official visit to Paris in 1961; Princess Grace of Monaco; Wallis Simpson, Duchess of Windsor and socialite Babe Paley.

Culture & Couture

Loris Azzaro Cocktail dress with black tulle

Loris Azzaro Cocktail dress with black tulle

He was a French-Italian fashion designer. He was born in Tunisia of Sicilian parents and went to Paris to set up his clothing and perfume lines in 1962. By 1968, his business was a huge success.

He was well known for making glamorous party dresses for the elite of French society. Often, his creations featured ornate beading and daring cut-outs. He was also known forusing brightly coloured chains woven onto shirts to make intricate chainmail dresses and tops.

1 · Artist/Maker: Loris Azzaro (February 9, 1933 – November 20, 2003)

2 · Description of the garment Cocktail dress with black tulle skirt and bodice with rhinestones.

3 · Object: Cocktail dress.

4 · Place of origin: Paris, France.

5 · Date: 1975

6 · Interesting Facts: Azzaro is a brand that became famous thanks to the charming outfits that the French designer, born in Tunisia of Italian parents, started to design since the 60s. His creations are always full of embroideries, of sparkling applications, and they were straight away a huge success among the socialites and celebrities of the 70s-80s. It all started with a label in “62, but it rapidly reached great success thanks to personalities such as Raquel Welch, Marisa Berenson, Dalida, Jane Birkin and Brigitte Bardot. The name of Azzaro stood out thanks to his sexy and very feminine fashion. During those years, the opening of new boutiques kept growing: besides Paris, also in London and Saint Tropez. Azzaro also collaborated in the creation of costumes worn by stars in films, and during the same years he also produced a series of perfumes, both for men and for women, that have a big success still today. Various designers have replaced each other at the artistic direction of the brand after the founder died in 2003. Today, an intern team designs its creations.

7 · Celebrities dressed by designer: The designer also dressed Sophia Loren, Claudia Cardinale, Isabelle Adjani, Kate Winslet and Nicole Kidman, among others.

Culture & Couture

Courreges Long black dress with big red bow

Courreges Long black dress with big red bow

Is a French fashion designer, known for his ultra-modern designs. At the age of 25, after studying to be a civil engineer, he went to Paris to work at the Jeanne Lafaurie Fashion House. A few months later, he went over to Balenciaga, the renowned Spanish designer.

1 · Artist/Maker: André Courrèges (March 9, 1923).

2 · Description of the garment Long black dress with big red bow on the bodice.

3 · Object: Evening dress

4 · Place of origin: Paris, France.

5 · Date: Mid 1960s

6 · Interesting Facts: “Courrèges is tomorrow—begun today”. That was the heady announcement Vogue made to its readers in June of 1965, shortly after the Basque designer, who was a relative newcomer to the Paris Couture, unveiled a visionary collection unlike any the Haute monde had seen before: Streamlined suits, suspender skirts, and hipster shorts paired with white go-go boots, space bonnets, and loopy goggle-sunglasses, all of it worn by athletes and suntanned models marching to the beat of a tomtom drum. To the pressed and powdered ladies of fashionable high society, where prim skirt suits and majestic evening gowns still reigned supreme, André Courrèges’s cosmic cadets may as well have come from The Jetsons’ Orbit City. Courrèges’s knee-baring hemlines (he and Mary Quant both claimed to have invented the miniskirt), as well as the childlike proportions he championed (A-line smocks, romper suits, pinafores) helped define the youth-centric Space Age chic of the sixties...

Along with his contemporaries Paco Rabanne and Pierre Cardin, André Courrèges helped create an unmistakable style that defined an era. His lasting impact on fashion design was his astute recognition of the revolution launched by the younger generation. The explosion of the “youthquake” onto the scene fundamentally altered the direction of fashion in the 1960s. Fashion now not only celebrated the present but also looked forward to the future. The future was conceivably Courrèges’s greatest muse, and the infinite possibilities of tomorrow stimulated his experiments with form.

7 · Celebrities dressed by designer: Twiggy, Penelope Tree, Marianne Faithfull, Jean Shrimpton and Marisa Berenson.

Culture & Couture

Jacques Esterel Long dress in white fabric

Jacques Esterel Long dress in white fabric

His real name was Charles-Henri Martin. In 1959 he founded the brand Jacques Esterel in the Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré and achieves fame with his BB wedding dress.

A craftsman dresses and songs, he was also a singer. He reaks the academicism of Haute Couture, making it more accessible after opening his first corner in Galeries Lafayette. Soon, he understood the importance of international expansion and procured partners in the US, the USSR, Japan and Germany. In 1970, he supports the unisex movement and presents a collection where men wear skirts, but sadly this was not in tune with the youth unisex cheers during those years.

1 · Artist/Maker: Jacques Esterel (Bourg-Argental, Loire, 1917 - Paris, 1974).

2 · Description of the garment Long dress in white fabric.

3 · Object: Resort evening dress.

4 · Place of origin: Paris, France.

5 · Date: 1964

6 · Interesting Facts: “Designers such as Jean Paul Gaultier or Marion Lesage took their first steps in this brand now forgotten”.

7 · Celebrities dressed by designer: His daring collections embody the reputation of the label supported by stars like Elizabeth Taylor and Claudia Cardinale.

8 · Belonged to: Unknown (Ref. Claudia Cardinale)

Culture & Couture

Yves Sant Laurent Brocade skirt and jacket set

Yves Sant Laurent Brocade skirt and jacket set

His prêt-à-porter line became extremely popular with the public (if not with the critics), and eventually earned a lot more money for Saint Laurent and Bergé than the Haute Couture line. However, Saint Laurent, whose health had been precarious for years, became erratic under the pressure of designing two Haute Couture and two prêt-à-porter collections every year and turned more and more to alcohol and drugs. At some shows, he could barely walk down the runway at the end of the show, and he had to be supported by models.

1 · Artist/Maker: Yves Saint Laurent, (1936 - 2008).

2 · Description of the garment Brocade skirt and jacket set in brocade with rhinestone trimmings.

3 · Object: Cocktail suit

4 · Place of origin:

5 · Date: 1982

Paris, France.

6 · Interesting Facts: His most memorable collections include inspiration from Pop Art, Ballet Russes’s, Picasso and China.

He also popularized the idea of using silhouettes of the 1920s, 30s and 40s. He was the first, in 1966, to popularize ready-to-wear in an attempt to democratize fashion, with his clothing line and shop Rive Gauche. He was also the first to use black models in his shows.

7 · Celebrities dressed by designer: Grace Kelly, Loulou de La Falaise, Betty Catroux, Talitha Pol-Getty and Catherine Deneuve.

Culture & Couture

Bernad Perris Violet top and pleated silk trouser set

Bernad Perris Violet top and pleated silk trouser set

Studied fashi on desi gn at Cours Bazot Sch ool. Caree r: Assis tant to Marc Boha n, assis tant desi gner, Guy Laroche, 1960-61; desi gner, Jac ques Hei m, 1961-63; desi gner, Dior, 1963; desi gner, Paul Bon, 1964-69; ope ned read y-to-wea r fi rm, two

Bernard Perris Nouvelle Couture, 1969; ope ned New York shop, 1986; ope ned

Paris sh ops, 1988; introduced bridge line, 1989; business closed brief ly, reope ned, 1992; hi red by Jea

n-Louis

Sche rrer as head desi gner, 1994 (later rep laced by Stepha ne Rolland). Exhi bitions: Musée des Arts

Dec oratifs, Paris, 1988; Musée de la Mode, Marsei lle, 1994. Awards : Bes t Fashi on Desi gner, Houston, Texas, 1988; Bes t Fashi on Desi gner, Tokyo, 1988; Silver Slippe r award, Houston, 1995.

1 · Artist/Maker:

2 · Description of the garment

Bernard Perris (1936-2010).

4 · Place of origin: Paris, France.

Violet top and pleated silk trouser set as cocktail look.

5 · Date: 1979

6 · Interesting Facts: “What has been mainly distinctive of my work is an atmosphere of high standard elegance with a glance to independence of mind and fun toward “les ideés reçues”. I have been many times called the most “couturier” of the “createurs,” probably because my line was more a nouvelle couture than a deluxe readyto-wear. As everyone, I have a double personality and am reflecting the influence of the “austerité” and “grandeur” of a Balenciaga, as well as the “glamour,” “sexy touch,” and “joie de vivre” of a Jacques Fath”.

—Bernard Perris.

7 · Celebrities dressed by designer: Sofia Loren and Brigitte Bardot.

Culture & Couture

Balmain Yellow dress with pleated silk ruffles

Balmain Yellow dress with pleated silk ruffles

He was a French fashion designer, founder of the fashion house Balmain. Known for sophistication and elegance, he once said that “dressmaking is the architecture of movement”.

1 · Artist/Maker: Pierre Balmain (Paris, France, May 18, 1914 – June 29, 1982).

2 · Description of the garment Yellow dress with pleated silk ruffles

3 · Object: Evening Dress

4 · Place of origin: Paris, France.

5 · Date: 1971

6 · Interesting Facts: Today, Couture is a luxury almost only available to celebrities. Balmain had always set extremely high standards for Couture. He believed in fashion that exuded elegance and simplicity and would stand the test of time, and so created pieces that would universally celebrate the human form. His aesthetic was always to create easy and glamorous looks that radiated style without being flashy or ostentatious. Ever the epitome of French fashion, he detested overly decorated designs and preferred to stick to refined lines and extreme attention to detail.

He singlehandedly created what his close personal friend, author Gertrude Stein, called the “New French Style”: an immaculately poised and well-dressed woman who was embodied in his 1949 fragrance Jolie Madame. His designs were worn by women with prestige, from royalty to theatre and ballet. He was well regarded in the world of Couture until his death in 1982, after which designer Erik Mortensen took the reins of the House.

7 · Celebrities dressed by designer: Marlène Dietrich, Michèle Morgan, Katharine Hepburn, Brigitte Bardot, Sophia Loren, Dalida.

Culture & Couture

Dior by Yves Sant Laurent Brocade skirt and jacket set

Dior - Yves Sant Laurent Brocade skirt and jacket set

“Saint Laurent has saved France, the great Dior tradition will continue”.

The young designer appeared on the balcony to greet the crowd. The Trapeze Line has a triangular shape, it flares gently from narrow shoulders to a shorter, wider hemline just covering the knees.

By Autumn, all of Paris was wearing this dress shape.

1 · Artist/Maker: Yves Saint Laurent, (1936 - 2008).

2 · Description of the garment Brocade skirt and jacket set with rhinestone trimmings.

3 · Object: Cocktail dress

4 · Place of origin: Paris, France.

5 · Date: 1958

6 · Interesting Facts: A-line skirts seem almost magical in their ability to flatter so many body types. While the flared skirt with a fitted waist has been around a while, it wasn’t until the 1950s that the modern idea of the A-line began to develop.

The first use of the term “A-line” in fashion dates back to Christian Dior in his Spring 1955 collection.

Dior and other Paris designers set the trends at this time, and Dior capitalized on this by organizing his collections around specific themes with descriptive names. From 1954 to 1955 he designed three collections, each based on a letter (H, A, and Y). These each marked a turn away from his previous hit collection of 1947, the “New Look” characterized by small waists and full skirts.

However, the A-line created by Dior isn’t quite what we think of when we talk about A-lines today.

It had narrow shoulders, a long smooth waistline, and a flat skirt towards the bottom. its signature look was a flared jacket over a very full skirt.

It was in 1958 that Dior’s successor, Yves Saint Laurent, truly captured the modern A-line shape. In his first collection for Dior, Yves Saint Laurent introduced the dramatic “trapeze line”, consisting of dresses that flared outward from fitted shoulders.

7 · Celebrities dressed by designer: The Duchess of Windsor, Grace Kelly and Ava Gadner.

Culture & Couture

Jean-Louis Scherrer Blue silk and satin dress and white jacket with rhinestones

Jean-Louis Scherrer Blue silk and satin dress and white jacket with rhinestones.

Born in Paris, Scherrer trained as a dancer at the Conservatoire de Paris until he injured his back, which put him out of action for three months. He then decided to focus on fashion design and, in 1956, he joined Christian Dior as an assistant designer alongside Yves Saint Laurent. Following Dior’s death in 1957, Scherrer worked under Saint Laurent, and then for Louis Féraud, before launching his own fashion house in 1962 on the Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré with the backing of Jacques Chabrol, a French millionaire.

In the mid-1960s, Scherrer had an agreement with the American department store Bergdorf Goodman to grant them exclusive rights to reproduce and resell his designs in the States.

1 · Artist/Maker: Jean-Louis Scherrer (Paris, February 19, 1935 – June 20, 2013).

2 · Description of the garment Blue silk and satin dress with rhinestones and silver sequins, plus white jacket with rhinestones.

4 · Place of origin: Paris, France.

5 · Date: 1964

6 · Interesting Facts: In 1990, Scherrer was fired without warning by his then business partners, Hermès and Ilona Gestion, who held a 90% controlling stake in the business. Although the firing was publicly criticised by high-profile figures in the French fashion industry, including Marc Bohan and Saint Laurent’s cofounder Pierre Bergé, there was little that could be done. The fashion historian Colin McDowell described it as “a salutary warning of the dangers of putting too many eggs in one basket, of not keeping control of one’s business and, according to some, of designer hubris”. He himself described the method of his sacking as “Comme on avait renvoie la bonne”.

Erik Mortensen replaced Scherrer at Jean-Louis Scherrer, and from 1997 to 2007 Stéphane Rolland was the designer for the fashion house before it closed permanently in 2008. The brand, which as of 2013 specialises in licensed products, is currently owned by the Dumesnil Group.

7 · Celebrities dressed by designer: His clients included Anne-Aymone Giscard d’Estaing, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, and Raquel Welch, who wore a Scherrer animal-print dresses in the 1977 film L’Animal. By the 1980s, his work was known for its opulence and luxury, with many garments hand-beaded, embroidered and lavishly trimmed. His extremely expensive designs were popular with the wealthy wives of Middle East oil tycoons, but after the Gulf War broke out, they stopped purchasing his clothes.

Culture & Couture

Thierry Mugler Smoking-inspired taffeta jacket , pencil skirt

Thierry Mugler Smoking-inspired taffeta jacket , pencil skirt

French

designer, born in

1948. Manufactured clothing while still a teenager and then worked as a department store window dresser. In 1973, he began designing under his own name. Insurance is a designer who knows that his clothes are both amazing and fun, are well conceived and executed and are much admired. It has a clear influence of fashion that was worn in the forties and fifties and, therefore, creates tight garments that enhance the figure and exaggerate the shoulders, waist and hips, exploring and expressing the female form.

1 · Artist/Maker: Thierry Mugler (Strasbourg, December 1948).

2 · Description of the garment Smoking-inspired taffeta jacket and pencil skirt evening set.

4 · Place of origin: Paris, France.

5 · Date: 1988

6 · Interesting Facts: Mugler ‘s work over the following two decades had a style that was much of his time: strong, angular, sometimes almost cruel. Shoulders were wide and padded; waists were wasp-like. The prints, banished: Mugler ‘s clothes came in solid, dominating colors. Collars had exaggerated points, or cuts that imitated flames. The insect kingdom was a constant influence, as well as the ladies and gentlemen of film noir.

In its most extreme runway clothes, PVC was often used, as were themes of space and robots. The fashion House Mugler did not survive the 90s, though vintage versions of his more wearable clothes are still popular on auction sites like eBay. The year 1997 saw the beginning of a lucrative partnership with French cosmetics and skincare company Clarins, the most well-known Thierry Mugler fragrances are Angel (the most popular perfume in France) and A -men. The Thierry Mugler company is now known best for its perfume division; the Couture division was closed in 2003 and all Thierry Mugler ready–towear is now produced under the terms of license agreements, as well as a line of eyewear. Meanwhile, Mugler turned to other artistic interests. He published two books featuring his designs and fashion photography, inspired by controversial Stalinist propaganda: Thierry Mugler (1988) and Fantasy Fetish Fashion (1998). In 1992, Mugler directed the video for George Michael’s “ Too Funky”, featuring a parade of Mugler designs including the famous motorcycle dress. More recently, Mugler collaborated with Cirque du Soleil on its 2003 show “Zumanity“ at New York Hotel & Casino New York in Las Vegas. Notably, this is Cirque du Soleil’s first show for an adult audience.

7 · Celebrities dressed by designer: Jerry Hall, Beyonce, Lady Gaga and Madonna.

Culture & Couture

Christian Lacroix Top and draped belt with bright sequins and gathered skirt

Christian Lacroix Top and draped belt with bright sequins and gathered skirt

In 1970, Lacroix met Jean-Jacques Picart, who was involved in various fashion houses and helped Lacroix started working in the French fashion company Hermès in 1978. After graduating from the Ecole du Louvre in 1981, he began working for French fashion house Jean Patou. With the help of Jean-Jacques Picart, Lacroix managed to market popular clothing season after season.

Bright colours, luxury and perfection in finishing made Lacroix and Picart big names in fashion.

1 · Artist/Maker: Christian Lacroix (Arles, France, May 16 1951).

2 · Description of the garment Top and draped belt with bright sequins and gathered skirt.

3 · Object: Evening set

4 · Place of origin: Paris, France.

5 · Interesting Facts: Christian Lacroix was a couturier from Arles, in the South of France. His pouf dresses and embroidered jackets became status items for a new generation of luxury shoppers, who spent much of the decade swimming in money and looking for a way to live it up and show it off.

“The effect is of a costume party where everyone has a good time” Bernadine Morris, then the fashion critic for The New York Times, wrote in 1987.

6 · Celebrities dressed by designer: Cate Blanchett, Kate Moss, Ashley Olsen, Michelle Pfeiffer, Natalie Portman, Lady Gaga and Sarah Jessica Parker.

Culture & Couture

Dior White damask dress and jacket with multicolour embroidery

Dior White damask dress and jacket with multicolour embroidery

For over three decades, Marc Bohan defined the classic elegance that is Christian Dior. He joined the Christian Dior London line in 1958, then took over as Creative Director after the departure of Yves Saint Laurent in the Fall of 1960. His early career included stints at Molyneux, Madeleine de Rauch and Jean Patou. Bohan’s simple and classic designs were always fashion forward but with a distinct classiness all their own, drawing inspiration from previous decades. Throughout the years, the House of Dior (thanks in big part to Bohan) has maintai ned an iconic look, constantly borrowing elements from previous collections and refashioning them into something new yet quintessentially “Dior”.

1 · Artist/Maker: Marc Bohan (Paris, August 22 1926).

2 · Description of the garment White damask dress and white jacket with multicolour embroidery and beading.

3 · Object: Evening set

4 · Place of origin: Paris, France.

5 · Date: Late 1970s

6 · Interesting Facts: Troubles at Dior’s parent company, Boussac, would cause drastic changes on the maison de Couture in the 1980s. The roots of the problems reached back to the 1970s. Still owned and led by its octogenarian founder (known as “King Cotton” in his home nation), Group Boussac had by this time grown to encompass 65 textile mills and 17,000 employees. Despite its size, several imperatives of the industry --consolidation, competition from imports, the shift to synthetics-- had knocked Boussac from the top of France’s fabric heap to a struggling number five by 1971. Reluctant to close moneylosing plants and lay off workers, King Cotton did little to prevent his textile operations from suffering heavy losses in the 1970s. Money generated by his remaining one-third share of Dior helped prop up the Boussac group for several years, and the parent company raised millions by selling its stakes in Dior Perfumes. In 1981, the government-owned Institute de Development Industriel took control of the insolvent company, infusing 1 billion francs (almost $200 million) in the company from 1982 to 1985. When Boussac finally went bankrupt, a group of investors led by Bernard Arnault acquired it for “one symbolic franc” in December 1984. The 34-year-old Arnault divested the textile group’s industrial operations, focusing on its Bon Marché department store and Christian Dior.

7 · Celebrities dressed by designer: Bohan’s designs were an instant success with Dior’s celebrity clientele including Elizabeth Taylor and Sophia Loren.

Culture & Couture

Ted Lapidus Blue velvet jacket and skirt set

Ted Lapidus Blue velvet jacket and skirt set

Ted Lapidus, the fashion revolutionary whose accessible clothing earned him the epithet “ designer Street” in the 1960s, died in the French Riviera, at the age of 79. The Parisian couturier, who is credited with pioneering the unisex look with tremendous success, had been suffering from leukemia and succumbed to pulmonary complications at a hospital in Cannes. In a tribute, French President Nicolas Sarkozy said Lapidus “democratized French elegance and classicism” making fashion available for ordinary men and women. Lapidus designs, loved by French celebrities such as Brigitte Bardot and Alain Delon, became famous in the 1960s when fashion was looking for a way to keep up with the social changes sweeping Europe. Its peculiar label, created in 1951 and now run by his son Olivier Lapidus, became defined by clean lines and military unisex clothes and, above all, for his safari suit”. Ted was the first designer of the nouvelle vague (new wave), Lapidus‘s sister, Rose Torrente - Mett, told Agence France - Presse. “Everybody knew it“. After becoming a member of the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture, an exclusive club of Haute Couture in Paris in 1963, Lapidus soon diversified the business with accessories, which he believed was a more lucrative future. He is buried in the cemetery of Père Lachaise trails in the east of Paris, alongside such greats as Oscar Wilde, Jim Morrison and Chopin.

1 · Artist/Maker: Ted Lapidus (June 23 1929 – December 29 2008)

2 · Description of the garment Blue velvet jacket and skirt set.

3 · Object: Evening set

4 · Place of origin: Paris, France.

5 · Date: Late 1980s

6 · Interesting Facts: Lapidus died in Cannes, aged 79, from pulmonary complications brought on by leukaemia. He is buried in the Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy paid tribute and said Lapidus had “democratised French elegance and classicism” and “made fashion accessible to men and women in the street”. Sarkozy’s statement called him “the poet of French Couture”.

Lapidus was married twice. He is survived by two sons, Olivier and Thomas, and a daughter, Eloise.

7 · Celebrities dressed by designer: John Lennon, Brigitte Bardot, Françoise Hardy and Alain Delon.

Culture & Couture

Givenchy Long knitted black dress

Givenchy Long knitted black dress

The 1980s and 1990s were the LVMH era. Hubert de Givenchy was elected Personality of the Year 1979 and the most elegant man of the year by The Best Magazine. In 1982, a big retrospective presided by Audrey Hepburn was organized by the Fashion Institute of Technology of New York to celebrate the thirty years of the creation of the high fashion house. The following year, Hubert de Givenchy is named Chevalier de la Légion d”Honneur and in 1985, Jacques Lang, the French minister of the Culture, gave him an award dedicated to the art of elegance during a celebration at the Opera in Paris. In 1988, Givenchy joined LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton.

A few years later, in 1991, a big retrospective celebrated at the Galleria Palace the forty years of the Creation of the high fashion house. Hubert de Givenchy left the company in 1995. He was succeeded by British young creators such as John Galliano, Alexander McQueen and Julien MacDonald. From December 2003 to 2006, the British pattern-maker Ozwald Boateng is named artistic director of the Givenchy men’s division. In womenswear, John Galliano succeeded Givenchy upon his retirement but was in turn promoted to Christian Dior less than two years later, prompting the hiring of Alexander McQueen. In 2001, designer Julien Macdonald was appointed Artistic Director for the women’s lines, both Haute Couture and ready-to-wear.

1 · Artist/Maker: Hubert Taffin de Givenchy, (Beauvais, Oise, February 21, 1927).

2 · Description of the garment Long knitted dress in black. Submitted by Naomi Campell. Collection Spring-Summer 1992.

3 · Object: Evening set

4 · Place of origin: Paris, France.

5 · Date: 1992

6 · Interesting Facts: Givenchy’s name is a must in fashion. In 1995 he retire and sell the firm. Although the house is now a simbol of glamour some of his collections have been discussed and criticized.

7 · Belonged to: Naomi Campbell

Culture & Couture

Chanel-Karl Lagerfeld Grey dress with white flowers

Chanel-Karl Lagerfeld Grey dress with white flowers

Karl Lagerfeld is widely recognized as one of the most influential fashion designers of the late 20th century. He owes much of his popularity to his work for the Chanel brand, his activity as a photographer and for their striking public appearances, often surrounded by celebrities.

1 · Artist/Maker: Karl Otto Lagerfeld (Hamburg, Germany, September 10, 1933).

2 · Description of the garment Grey dress with white flowers.

3 · Object: Short Party Dress.

4 · Place of origin: Paris, France.

5 · Date: Spring 2009

6 · Interesting Facts: The Kaiser, as he is popularly known, prefers to see than to be seen, so he always wears sunglasses and his hair in a tight ponytail. He began designing for Chanel in the early 1980s.

Karl Lagerfeld never met Coco, since she died many years before. Chanel’s life was lonely; since she never had children, she had no heirs.

In 1953, Coco Chanel gave her rights to Pierre Wertheimer to pay her debts after the poor sales of her perfume Chanel Nº 5. The Wertheimer Family is the current owner of the brand, they are receiving all the profits of the billionaire label and, according to Forbes magazine, the sum of their wealth is five billion dollars.

The Gerard and Alain Wertheimer brothers are responsible for hiring Lagarfeld, because they felt that his work was right for the firm. Lagarfeld had worked for houses like Gucci and Fendi.

Many think that Lagerfeld is the owner of Chanel while the real owners prefer to remain anonymous.

7 · Celebrities dressed by designer: Sarah Jessica Parker, Jennifer Lawrence, Michelle Keegan, Rihanna, Mila Kunis, Lucy Mecklenburgh, Angelina Jolie,Victoria Beckham, Jennifer Aniston, Blake Lively, Marion Cotillard and many more.

Culture & Couture

PIERRE CARDIN Butterfly long dress in pleated pink silk

PIERRE CARDIN Butterfly long dress in pleated pink silk

Pierre Cardin is an Italian-born French high fashion designer best known for his geometric avantgarde designs. In the 1960s, his use of stark tunics, goggles and helmets launched the Space Age look. Cardin expanded into the automobile market in the early 1970s and designed Haute Couture muscle car interiors. He now owns a chain of Maxim Hotels and restaurants.

1 · Artist/Maker: Pierre Cardin (July 2, 1922).

2 · Description of the garment Butterfly long dress in pleated pink silk.

3 · Object: Evening gown

4 · Place of origin: Paris, France.

5 · Date: 1975

6 · Interesting Facts: The 1960s were a varied and successful period for Pierre Cardin. In the first years of the decade, he began to design clothes inspired by science. This would become known simply as the “Space Age look”. Interestingly, just as Japanese fashion had inspired Cardin years before, some Japanese designers are still heavily influenced by the futuristic style that Cardin pioneered.

Another success for Cardin came in 1966, when, after rounding up “all the triplets in Paris” to be the models for its debut, Cardin released his first clothing line for children. The 1960s also saw Cardin’s introduction of a new casual style of men’s dress clothing that had a major impact on the look of American and British menswear. In the decades since then, the Pierre Cardin fashion House has grown into an empire. Cardin has licensed large numbers of diverse products to carry his famous initials. Some of these products include furniture, frying pans, and a select number of 1973 AMC Javelin cars. He also owns a restaurant chain called Maxim”s. Cardin’s extensive use of branding has raised quite a bit of criticism from other high fashion designers, but it seems to be becoming the industry norm rather than staying the exception.

7 · Celebrities dressed by designer: Sofia Loren, Catherine Deneuve, Brigitte Bardot and Marisa Berenson.

Culture & Couture

Dior by Galliano Dupion pink silk and pink bolero with rhinestones

Dior by Galliano Dupion pink silk and pink bolero with rhinestones

On October 14, 1996, LVMH the

50th

sent

Galliano

to the

Christinan Dior

anniversary of the fashion house, on January important role in his creations.

20, 1997. His

label.

His

first catwalk show coincided with

passion for theatre and femininity play avery

“My role is to seduce”, he has said.

1 · Artist/Maker: John Galliano (Gibraltar, Novermber 28, 1960).

2 · Description of the garment Dupion pink silk and pink bolero with rhinestones.

3 · Object: Evening set

4 · Place of origin: Paris, France.

5 · Date: 1999

6 · Interesting Facts: Galliano was named British Designer of the Year in 1987, 1994, 1995 and 1997. In 1997, he shared the award with Alexander McQueen, his successor at Givenchy.

He was also named Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 2001 for his services to the Fashion Industry as a Fashion Designer. He received his CBE on November 27, 2001 at Buckingham Palace in London, England.

He also received a RDI for his contribution to the fashion industry in 2002.

He appeared on The Independent on Sunday’s 2007 “pink list” for being one of “the most influential gay people in Britain”.

He received the French Legion d’Honeur in 2009. The medal was withdrawn by decree of the president of the Republic, Francois Hollande, as published in the official journal on 20 August 2012.

7 · Celebrities dressed by designer: Many actresses like kate Hudson or Charlize Theron.

Culture & Couture

Dior Sport-Chic set

Dior Sport-Chic set

From 1958 to 1960, Bohan designed for the Christian Dior London line. In September 1960, when Dior creative director Yves Saint Laurent was called up for military service; Bohan was promoted to replace him. His deceptively simple, elegant designs drew their inspiration from the 1920s, and rejected the extremes of contemporary fashion. One notable collection in 1966 was inspired by the Russian style of Dr Zhivago. Bohan’s classic pieces are now found in museum collections around the world. In 2009, the Musée Christian Dior at Granville held a major Bohan retrospective. In 1989, Bohan left Dior, before joining for the House of Norman Hartnell in London, where he worked for the label until 1992. Bohan has since designed under his own name.

1 · Artist/Maker: Marc Bohan (Paris, August 22, 1926).

2 · Description of the garment Sport-chic set. Silk cotton fabric with floral motifs in black and white.

3 · Object: Evening set

4 · Place of origin:

5 · Date: 1964

Paris, France.

6 · Interesting Facts: His work in the label was very important. He had the ability to combine popular fashion with high fashion; the look of 1960s pop combined with the most exclusive fashion, without neglecting the spirit of Dior.

Bohan became known for his refined, romantic clothing, soft prints and elegant dresses. In the 1960s they became an event for capturing the pop spirit, creating more youthful clothing lines such as Dior and sports ready-to-wear.

7 · Celebrities dressed by designer: Bohan designed for Princess Grace of Monaco, Lynn Wyatt, and Betsy Bloomingdale. Princess Grace supported Bohan by opening the Baby Dior boutique in 1967.

Jacqueline Kennedy admired Bohan’s designs and had them adapted by Oleg Cassini and Chez Ninon. In 1976, Bohan was chosen to design Silvia Sommerlath’s wedding dress at her wedding to King Carl Gustaf of Sweden. Two years later, he designed the wedding gown of Princess Caroline of Monaco for her 1978 wedding to Philippe Junot.

Culture & Couture

Lanvin Fitted jacket in black and gold brocade

Lanvin Fitted jacket in black and gold brocade

The House of Lanvin was founded in 1889 by Jeanne Lanvin; a creative visionary who was one of the most influential designers of the 1920s and 1930s.

From then until now, Lanvin has been an icon of subtlety and elegance. The House is 125 years old.

1 · Artist/Maker: Claude Montana (Paris, June 29,1947)

2 · Description of the garment Fitted jacket in black and gold brocade fabric.

3 · Object: Evening set

4 · Place of origin: Paris, France.

5 · Date: 1991

6 · Interesting Facts: Lanvin by Claude Montana (1990 - 1992) The possibility of designing the House’s Couture line gave Claude Montana a feeling of freedom, untied from the constraints of mass production he had in ready-to-wear. The initiator of the signature 80s shoulder pad look imagined austere, elegant yet futuristic garments for Lanvin, similar to his own line”s designs. Acclaimed by the industry, he was awarded the “Dé d”Or” twice in a row.

7 · Celebrities dressed by designer: Cindy Crawford, Claudia Schiffer, Elle Macpherson, Linda Evangelista, Naomi Campbell, Stephanie Seymour and Helena Christensen.

Culture & Couture

Yves Saint Laurent Dress with gold beading Suzavila and white jacket

Yves Saint Laurent Dress with gold beading Suzavila and white jacket

From 1977 to 1978, Yves Saint Laurent disappears from public life.

As Yves Saint Laurent disappeared from public view, Loulou de la Falaise came increasingly to represent YSL in the eyes of Paris and the rest of the social and fashion world. In terms of image, she was the living embodiment of his collections.

As well as reflecting his image, Loulou was counted on to perform the role of animating Yves‘ increasingly more solitary life.

1 · Artist/Maker: Yves Saint Laurent, (1936 - 2008).

2 · Description of the garment Dress with gold beading Suzavila and white jacket with gold thread.

3 · Object: Evening set

4 · Place of origin: Paris, France.

5 · Date: 1978

6 · Interesting Facts: Opium is an oriental fragrance created by the fashion house Yves Saint Laurent (YSL) in collaboration with perfumers Jean Amic and Jean-Louis Sieuzac Roure, and first launched in 1977. It has notes of mixed fruits and spices, with mandarin orange, plum, coriander and black pepper, middle notes of jasmine, rose and lily of the valley, in contrast with carnation, cinnamon and peach, as well as faint cardamom notes. Its base highlights sweet woods like sandalwood, cedarwood, myrrh, labdanum, benzoin and castoreum, in addition to amber, incense, moss, patchouli, tolu balsam and vetiver.

7 · Celebrities dressed by designer: Catherine Deneuve, Talitha Pol, Bianca Jagger, Katouch Niane, Laetitia Casta.

Culture & Couture

Jean Paul Gaultier Jacket and skirt matching set Madonna “blond ambition� dress

Jean Paul Gaultier Madonna “blond ambition” dress

Jean Paul Gaultier

dresses were produced for

Madonna’s 1990

promoted the use of skirts, especially kilts for men.

tour, working with

Wolford Hoisery. He

Gaultier made a big impact by using unconventional models

for his catwalk shows (like little old men and extremely thin women, tattooed and pierced models, etc.) and by playing with traditional gender roles in his shows. popularity. on,

This

earned hi m enormous criticism, but also a huge

Gaulti r has also designed costumes for many films such as The Fifth Element, di rec ted by Luc Bess

Pedro Almodóvar’s Kika, The Cook the Thief His Wife & Her Lover by Peter Greenaway and The City of

Lost Children by Jean -Pierre Jeunet. Madonna’s Blond Ambition Tour also showed his creations, the most famous being the iconic pink corset with cone-shaped cups. other

Later, Jean- Paul Gaultier designed the costumes for

Madonna concert tours: the Confessions Tour (2006) and the MDNA Tour (2012).

1 · Artist/Maker: Jean Paul Gaultier. (Arcueil, Val-de-Marne, France, April 24, 1952)

2 · Description of the garment Madonna “Blond Ambition” dress.

3 · Object: Evening set

4 · Place of origin: Paris, France.

5 · Date: 1989

6 · Interesting Facts: Gaultier currently designs for three collections: his own Couture line and ready-to-wear, as well as the newly launched clothing line for Hermès, a French company specializing in leather goods, famous for its ties and expensive bags.

Gaultier has also designed several costumes for Marilyn Manson. He is often remembered for his exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York entitled Breavehearts - Men in Skirts.

7 · Celebrities dressed by designer: Madonna and many more.

Culture & Couture

Loris Azzaro Blue dress with draped bodice

Loris Azzaro Blue dress with draped bodice

He was a French-Italian fashion designer. He was born in Tunisia of Sicilian parents and went to Paris to set up his fashion and perfume lines in 1962. By 1968 his business was a huge success. He was well known for making glamorous party dresses for the elite of French society. Often his creations featured ornate beading and daring cut-outs. He was also known to use brightly colored chains woven onto shirts to make intricate chainmail dresses and tops.

1 · Artist/Maker: Loris Azzaro. (February 9, 1933 – November 20, 2003).

2 · Description of the garment Blue lycra dress with draped bodice.

3 · Object: Evening Dress (Party Cruise)

4 · Place of origin: Paris, France.

5 · Date: 1970

6 · Interesting Facts: Azzaro’s collections are always named alphabetically by season. The first season’s collection featured garments with names all starting with an A, the next with B names and so on. Azzaro admitted that he would sometimes skip a letter like Q, X or Z because it was too hard to find names for those letters.

Azzaro released a wide range of products including women’s and men’s clothing lines and accessories as well as a wide range of fragrances. In 1975 he created his first fragrance for women, “Couture”, which became his signature scent. Over time, Azzaro became known for his fragrances as much as his clothing. His favourite colour was blue as he quoted: “The blue colour is the colour that suits me”. His inspiration came from the surroundings of his country of birth, Tunisia: “I let myself get carried away by the atmosphere of the country of my childhood, with its spiced smells, its colours, its flowers and its perfumes. It is the country where I really become myself, the country where my preferred coloyr is everywhere, the azure of the sea and the sky”.

7 · Celebrities dressed by designer: Over the course of his long career he dressed numerous celebrities including Dalida, Sophia Loren, Raquel Welch, Marisa Berenson, Claudia Cardinale, Isabelle Adjani, Kate Winslet and Nicole Kidman.

Culture & Couture

Jean-Louis Scherrer Sheer chiffon embroidered jumpsuit

Jean-Louis Scherrer Sheer chiffon embroidered jumpsuit

Jean-Louis Scherrer was born in Paris, France in 1936. He was interested in dancing, but was unable to continue his career after a fall, so he began to sketch.

In 1955,

his talent took him to the

took over the

House

of

Dior,

where he worked with

Yves Saint Laurent. When Saint Laurent

House of Dior after the master died, Scherror joined the House of Louis Feraud until 1961. He set up

his own fashion house in

Couture

He studied fashion design at the Chambre Syndicale de la Couture in Paris.

1962. His

first collection was shown in the vaulted cellar of a wine dealer.

and ready-to- wear clothes.

His

for his sophisticated evening wear. In the was all the rage at the time. In the

He

produced

garments were classic, restrained and sometimes sombre, and he was known

1960s, he brought out some designs of jackets with the Nehru collar, which

1970s,

many affluent

Arab

wives became his clients, as his longer, covered-up

designs satisfied the modesty required by such ladies, while also proclaiming their wealth.

He also dressed ladies such as

Baroness von Thyssen and Francoise Sagan. In 1971, he set up his ready-to-wear line. For twenty years, the House of Scherrer made beautiful dresses for the ladies of Paris and the world. In 1992, the Japanese House of Seibu purchased the label, so Jean-Louis for the

House

briefly.

bought out the

Scherrer left the House that he had founded. Erik Mortensen and then Bernard Perry designed

France Luxury Group,

which also controls the

House

of Jacques

Fath

and

Emanuelle Khahn,

House of Jean-Louis Scherrer in 2001. In 1997, Stephane Rolland (born in 1966) joined Scherrer to design the

Haute Couture line and he still continues to do so today.

1 · Artist/Maker: Jean-Louis Scherrer (Paris, February 19, 1935 – June 20,2013)

2 · Description of the garment Sheer chiffon embroidered jumpsuit as evening set.

4 · Place of origin: Paris, France.

5 · Date: 1989

6 · Interesting Facts: With each season, the couturier would embark on an exotic journey through India, Tibet, Timbuktu or Tangier, where he kept a second home. His sophisticated approach to exoticism would not only endear him to his Arab clients, but establish his reputation as Couture’s grand orientalist; an image captured in the House’s 1986 Scherrer 2 perfume ad campaign. During the 1980s and 1990s, Scherrer’s daughter Laetitia became his muse and would open and close his shows. At the end of one memorable Couture presentation in January 1990, she released a white dove above the audience as a symbol of peace following the end of the Gulf war; a poignant message from a designer who embraced diversity and the beauty found in cultures across the globe.

7 · Celebrities dressed by designer: Claudia Cardinale, Jackie Kennedy, Sophia Loren, Farah Diba, Christina Onassis, and Isabelle d´Ornano.