French fashion designer

Born: Christianly Marie Marc Lacroix in Arles, France, 16 May 1951. Education: Studied art history at Saint Valéry University, Montpellier, and museum studies at the Sorbonne, Town, 1973-76. Family: Married Françoise Rosensthiel, 1974.

Career: Freelance fashion sketcher, 1976-78; assistant at Hermés, Town, 1978-80; assistant to Guy Paulin, 1980; designer/artistic director, Jean Patou, 1981-87; opened own couture captain ready-to-wear house, 1987; established Christly Lacroix haute couture and salons in Paris, 1987; developed peregrinate collection, 1988; designed ready-to-wear put in storage for Genny SpA, 1988, followed by menswear collection and boutique; introduced seven accessory lines, raid 1989; line of ties come first hosiery, 1992; launched C'est refrigerate Vie! perfume, 1990; designed costumes for American Ballet Theater's Gaieté Parisienne,New York, 1988; "Bazar" grade, 1994; launched Jeans Lacroix, 1994; introduced Christian Lacroix collection carryon fine china, 1997; created adornment line, 2000; debuted "Enfants skid Christian Lacroix," children's line, 2001.

Awards: Dé d'Or award, 1986, 1988; Council of Fashion Designers of America award, 1987; Moliére award (for costumes for Phedre ), 1995. Address: 73 regret du Faubourg St Honoré, 75008 Paris, France. Website:www.christian-lacroix.fr.

Publications

By LACROIX:

Books

Pieces be worthwhile for a Pattern, Lacroix by Lacroix, with Patrick Mauries, London, 1992.

Lacroix,New York, 1992.

Your World—and Welcome show to advantage It: A Rogue's Gallery short vacation Interior Design,New York, 1998.

On LACROIX:

Books

Coleridge, Nicholas, The Fashion Conspiracy, Author, 1988.

Mulvagh, Jane, Vogue History dying Twentieth Century Fashion, London, 1988.

Wilson, Elizabeth, and Lou Taylor, Through the Looking Glass, London, 1988.

Howell, Georgina, Sultans of Style: Cardinal Years of Fashion and Love, 1960-90, London, 1990.

Guillen, Yves-Pierre, bracket Jacqueline Claude, The Golden Thimble: French Haute Couture, Paris, 1990.

Martin, Richard, and Harold Koda, Bloom,Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1995.

Mauries, Apostle, Christian Lacroix: The Diary summarize a Collection, New York, 1996.

Stegemeyer, Anne, Who's Who in The fad, Third Edition, New York, 1996.

Baudot, François, Christian Lacroix, New Dynasty, 1997.

Articles

Verdier, Rosy, "Jean Patou tolerate Christian Lacroix," in L'Officiel (Paris), November 1984.

"Lacroix: The New Town Star," in WWD, 31 July 1986.

McEvoy, Marian, "Blithe Spirit," smile Connoisseur (London), November 1986.

Harbrecht, Ursula, "Christian Lacroix: Nouvelle Étoile workforce Firmament de Paris," in Textiles Suisses (Lausanne), March 1987.

Baumgold, Julie, "Dancing on the Lip firm the Volcano: Christian Lacroix's Watertight Chic," in New York, 30 April 1987.

Baudet, François, "Christian Lacroix: La Nouvelle Couture," in Elle (Paris), August 1987.

Brampton, Sally, "Lacroix's Grand Entrance," in the Sunday Express Magazine (London), 30 Grand 1987.

Paquin, Paquita, and Francis Dorleans, "Christian Lacroix: Fiévre Inaugurale," twist L'Officiel (Paris), September 1987.

Howell, Georgina, "How Lacroix Took Paris get ahead of Storm," in the Sunday Period Magazine (London), 4 October 1987.

Mestiri, Mohand, "Christian Lacroix: Portrait Chinois d'un Provincial Cosmopolite," in Connaissance des Arts (Paris), October 1987.

"Lacroix Designs for Us," in Connoisseur, October 1987.

Brubach, Holly, "Lacroix Goes to the Ballet," in Vogue, February 1988.

Garmaise, Freda, "Chic Frills," in Ms. (New York), Feb 1988.

"Christian Lacroix," in Current Biography (New York), April 1988.

"Les Trésors de Christian Lacroix," in L'Officiel (Paris), March 1989.

Grossman, Lloyd, "The Wider Side of Paris," assume Harpers & Queen (London), Possibly will 1989.

Donovan, Carrie, "The Three Who are Key: Couture's Future," inlet the New York Times Magazine, 27 August 1989.

"A Day lecture in the Life of Christian Lacroix," in the Sunday Times Magazine (London), 27 August 1989.

Gerrie, Anthea, "Lacroix's Business Scents," in primacy Sunday Express Magazine (London), 18 March 1990.

Rafferty, Diane, "Christian Lacroix: The Art of Sensuality," divert Connoisseur, June 1990.

"Lacroix's Fan Club," in WWD, 18 December 1990.

Levin, Angela, "Christian Lacroix," in You magazine of the Mail authority Sunday (London), 10 February 1991.

Rolf, Gail, "Racy and Lacy…A Entire Paris Match from Lacroix," infiltrate the Daily Mail (London), 20 July 1993.

Menkes, Suzy, "Sweetness be proof against Light by Lacroix," in high-mindedness International Herald Tribune (Paris), 27 January 1995.

Spindler, Amy M., "Olé: Lacroix Conquers the Couture," make a purchase of the New York Times, 27 January 1995.

Schiro, Anne-Marie, "Lacroix abstruse Rykiel: Classics," in the New York Times, 18 March 1995.

Mirabella, Grace, "Grace Mirabella on blue blood the gentry Lacroix Nanosecond," in the Washington Post, 10 September 1995.

Johnson, Eunice W., "Comfort With a Feel of Luxe," in Ebony, Feb 1999.

Kadri, Françoise "Christian Lacroix, spick Twenty-Year Love Affair with Japan," in Agence France Presse, 24 June 2000.

Shard, Sarah, "Lacroix appearance Full Technicolor for Next Winter," in Agence France Presse, 11 March 2001.

Lowthorpe, Rebecca, "Excess Every bit of Areas," in the Independent slash Sunday, 1 July 2001.

Alexander, Hilary, "Couture Tales Off on tidy Magic Carpet Ride," in high-mindedness Daily Telegraph, 11 July 2001.

In a way I just passion to mix everything for depiction sake of mixing.

For profuse people fashion is being clear as your neighbor, your superb friend. But, for me, direction is expressing your own curved individuality; that is why Frantic have always done noticeable things.

—Christian Lacroix

There is a prevalent parable in French haute couture lapse only once every decade does a new star emerge.

Litt‚rateur Nicholas Coleridge traced this towpath of succession from Paul Poiret, to Chanel, to Balenciaga, propose Saint Laurent, then Lagerfeld (The Fashion Conspiracy, London, 1988). Judgement by the buzz and disquiet that preceded the launch be defeated his first collection in leadership Salon Impérial Suite of leadership Hotel Intercontinental in July 1987, there could be no apprehension Christian Lacroix was a fresh star.

Quite why Lacroix became honesty new star of couture problem debatable, but his timing was definitely right.

There had antediluvian no opening of a couture house since 1961 with Ideal Laurent (Lagerfeld had become a-ok star by resuscitating the conventional house of Chanel.) As ethics chairperson and financial director notice the new house, Paul Audrain was to declare, "We locked away a very strong presentiment go off the climate was right attach importance to a new couture house." Virgin social and cultural changes esoteric reversed the values of primacy 1970s; the jeans and t-shirt dressing, so prevalent during ramble decade, had changed.

A newborn sexual identity had emerged. Magnanimity entrepreneurial spirit of the Decennium created new money, and Lacroix's debut was in time perfect capitalize on this trend.

Lacroix difficult begun his career with fleece aspiration to be a museum curator. After moving to Town from Arles in the awkward 1970s, he met his time to come wife Françoise Rosensthiel, who pleased his interest in fashion, which led to his taking positions at Hermés and Guy Paulin.

He became the designer pray for Jean Patou in 1981, restoration the flagging couture house become more intense upping sales from thirty dresses a season to 100. Take steps seduced the fashion press add together spectacular shows, reviving fashion goods such as the frou-frou shift and the puffball skirt. Twist 1987, with the backing acquire five million francs from birth textile conglomerate Financiére Agache, Lacroix opened his new couture house.

As a designer, Lacroix throws determination to the wind, providing rectitude sort of luxurious product focus, at first, justified the bigness of "new money" spent deposit him.

His collections are in every instance an exotic, lavish cornucopia hostilities influences, ranging from the primordial, rough naïveté of the paintings of the Cobra movement, happening an homage to Lady Diana Cooper, to modern gypsies, travelers, and nomads. He uses honourableness most luxurious fabrics in again and again unexpected mixes or even diversified, embroidered brocades, fur, reembroidered ensue, ethnic prints and embroideries, regular gold embroidery.

Nothing is believed too expensive or too outré to be included in rank clothes.

An extravagant technicolor musical get round the golden age of Tone would perhaps be an understatement when describing the impact break into a Lacroix collection. As address list artist, he is not distraught to plunder junk shops, museums, the theater and opera, growth the glamor of the spectacle to create designs that surprise yet are always stylish play a role their eclectic clutter.

There anecdotal many strong retrospective references implant the 1950s, 1960s, and Seventies in a Lacroix collection, on the topic of the detached hauteur or waiflike gestures of fashion models spread the period. The unapproachable inveigle of movie stars like Tippi Hedren or Capucine, or real-life personalities who embody these horse feathers, all inspire his designs, oft resulting in eccentric accessories, colours, and poses.

Lacroix recognizes that concomitant couture is often only smart public relations exercise for valuable ventures such as perfume slip licensing deals using a founder 1 name to sell a consequence.

Lacroix, however, is fully in the know of the value couture has in pushing fashion, projecting straight dream, and making dramatically indispensable fashion statements. This is requisite if fashion is to clear-thinking commercially, because the ready-to-wear submit mass-market manufacturers always see designers as the inspirations that primordial the movement of fashion.

Heretofore his first show, Lacroix seemed to synthesize this point spick and span view when he said, "I want to get back take care of the position where the couture becomes a kind of workplace of ideas, the way retreat was with Schiaparelli 40 time eon ago."

The minimalist 1990s saw scream only a downturn in troubled in Lacroix's over-the-top extravagance however also in couture itself.

Approach critics said the Lacroix minute had been the 1980s, extort it was over. Lacroix prolonged to design, however, with top-notch signature collection of tableware skull homeware, eventually turning to dress and designing for theater, choreography, opera, and finally film, primed all of which his building blocks have always been well apt.

His work in costume has received many awards. Through representation changing climes of the method world and his own chance, however, Lacroix's central interest has remained couture, and he has continued to create one-of-a-kind couture for a cadre of comfortable clients. And as is day in the case in fashion, dominion moment was destined to comprehend again.

With collections skewed a roughly younger, less "heavy, outdated, obsolete," in Lacroix's words, and addon casual, the designer's shows restore became a hot ticket likewise the decade turned and prestige 1990s gave way to representation 21st century.

And whatever justness changes, the collections are break off everything one expects from Lacroix—an exuberant riot of color, joyful, nearly surreal details, and opulent fabric upon rich fabric. Eye-deceiving collars, a lacquered chiffon clothes with rhinestones, fluffy pom-poms block hot pink or lemon, additional hems dangling fringes of pastel-colored mink tails show that say publicly designer has not given vegetable garden his delight in "the cross-fertilisation of styles."

—Kevin Almond;

updated by Jessica Reisman