André Courrèges
Encyclopedia
André Courrèges 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 Geanne Lafaurie fashion design house. A few months later he went over to Balenciaga
, the renowned Spanish designer.
Both Courrèges and Mary Quant
lay claim to the invention of the miniskirt.
s, trapezoid
s, triangle
s. The look included boots, goggles
, and hem
s three inches above the knees. The main features of his boxy, uncluttered look spread quickly throughout the fashion world, especially the miniskirt, which he introduced to France.
The materials included plastic and metal. He uses PVC
clothing in his collections. Colours were primary: metallic, white, red, yellow... From the perspective of publicity, the collection was an absolute sensation. However, it is worth remembering that fashion houses have always made their sales mostly from mature and older women. Skirts above knee length in bright colours and geometric shapes made from unyielding fabrics may look fine on a young model. They are less ideal for the clientele of most fashion houses.
Among Courrèges' later creations were sweater pants, parkas, tennis dresses, beach clothes and mechanic-style coveralls. In contrast he also came out with a glow-in-the-dark jersey dress and an array of swimsuit
s, held together only by thin strings on the sides. He continued with his bright acid colors and geometrical designs. He was much copied by high-street retailers who toned down the ideas to better suit everyday wear. Shortly after he showed his space-age collection in 1964, the market was flooded with plastic skirts and jackets, angular seaming, crash helmets, white boots, and goggles.
and futurism
in art and design. Several others trod a similar path: Coco Chanel
, who worked with and knew many modern artists, and Mary Quant
, whose career paralled Courrèges in some ways. Courrèges was the one who pushed these ideas to the extreme, making some really memorable designs.
Balenciaga
Balenciaga is a fashion house founded by Cristóbal Balenciaga, a Basque designer, born in the Basque Country, Spain. He had a reputation as a couturier of uncompromising standards and was referred to as "the master of us all" by Christian Dior. His bubble skirts and odd, feminine, yet ultra-modern...
, the renowned Spanish designer.
Both Courrèges and Mary Quant
Mary Quant
Mary Quant OBE FCSD is a British] fashion designer and British fashion icon, who was instrumental in the mod fashion movement. She was one of the designers who took credit for inventing the miniskirt and hot pants. Born in Blackheath, London, to Welsh parents, Quant brought fun and fantasy to...
lay claim to the invention of the miniskirt.
Career in fashion
In 1961 Courrèges opened his Maison de Couture with his little white dress and a trouser suit.Space Age
He launched his 'Space Age' collection in 1964. He built his dresses rather than designed them. The shapes of his clothes were geometric: squareSquare (geometry)
In geometry, a square is a regular quadrilateral. This means that it has four equal sides and four equal angles...
s, trapezoid
Trapezoid
In Euclidean geometry, a convex quadrilateral with one pair of parallel sides is referred to as a trapezoid in American English and as a trapezium in English outside North America. A trapezoid with vertices ABCD is denoted...
s, triangle
Triangle
A triangle is one of the basic shapes of geometry: a polygon with three corners or vertices and three sides or edges which are line segments. A triangle with vertices A, B, and C is denoted ....
s. The look included boots, goggles
Goggles
Goggles or safety glasses are forms of protective eyewear that usually enclose or protect the area surrounding the eye in order to prevent particulates, water or chemicals from striking the eyes. They are used in chemistry laboratories and in woodworking. They are often used in snow sports as well,...
, and hem
Hem
To hem a piece of cloth is to sew a cut edge in such a way as to prevent unraveling of the fabric.There are many different styles of hems of varying complexities. The most common hem...
s three inches above the knees. The main features of his boxy, uncluttered look spread quickly throughout the fashion world, especially the miniskirt, which he introduced to France.
The materials included plastic and metal. He uses PVC
Polyvinyl chloride
Polyvinyl chloride, commonly abbreviated PVC, is a thermoplastic polymer. It is a vinyl polymer constructed of repeating vinyl groups having one hydrogen replaced by chloride. Polyvinyl chloride is the third most widely produced plastic, after polyethylene and polypropylene. PVC is widely used in...
clothing in his collections. Colours were primary: metallic, white, red, yellow... From the perspective of publicity, the collection was an absolute sensation. However, it is worth remembering that fashion houses have always made their sales mostly from mature and older women. Skirts above knee length in bright colours and geometric shapes made from unyielding fabrics may look fine on a young model. They are less ideal for the clientele of most fashion houses.
Later creations
In 1966 he launched a new perfume, and in 1967 women began wearing his 'second-skin' all-over tights. This idea is still in vogue today.Among Courrèges' later creations were sweater pants, parkas, tennis dresses, beach clothes and mechanic-style coveralls. In contrast he also came out with a glow-in-the-dark jersey dress and an array of swimsuit
Swimsuit
A swimsuit, bathing suit, or swimming costume is an item of clothing designed to be worn by men, women or children while they are engaging in a water-based activity or water sports, such as swimming, water polo, diving, surfing, water skiing, or during activities in the sun, such as sun bathing.A...
s, held together only by thin strings on the sides. He continued with his bright acid colors and geometrical designs. He was much copied by high-street retailers who toned down the ideas to better suit everyday wear. Shortly after he showed his space-age collection in 1964, the market was flooded with plastic skirts and jackets, angular seaming, crash helmets, white boots, and goggles.
Influences
Courrèges was influence by modern architecture, technology, new fabrics, and modernismModernism
Modernism, in its broadest definition, is modern thought, character, or practice. More specifically, the term describes the modernist movement, its set of cultural tendencies and array of associated cultural movements, originally arising from wide-scale and far-reaching changes to Western society...
and futurism
Futurism
Futurism was an artistic and social movement that originated in Italy in the early 20th century.Futurism or futurist may refer to:* Afrofuturism, an African-American and African diaspora subculture* Cubo-Futurism* Ego-Futurism...
in art and design. Several others trod a similar path: Coco Chanel
Coco Chanel
Gabrielle Bonheur "Coco" Chanel was a pioneering French fashion designer whose modernist thought, menswear-inspired fashions, and pursuit of expensive simplicity made her an important figure in 20th-century fashion. She was the founder of one of the most famous fashion brands, Chanel...
, who worked with and knew many modern artists, and Mary Quant
Mary Quant
Mary Quant OBE FCSD is a British] fashion designer and British fashion icon, who was instrumental in the mod fashion movement. She was one of the designers who took credit for inventing the miniskirt and hot pants. Born in Blackheath, London, to Welsh parents, Quant brought fun and fantasy to...
, whose career paralled Courrèges in some ways. Courrèges was the one who pushed these ideas to the extreme, making some really memorable designs.