Jacques Guarrigue-Lefèvre
Encyclopedia
Jacques Guarrigue-Lefèvre is the founder, owner and current president of Paris Élysée, a private club based in Paris. He is one of the numerous great-nephews of Baron of Buttlar-Bradenfels, Hans Treusch. He started as a fashion designer. He was born on 13 July 1961, near Düsseldorf
, Germany, to French parents. He moved to Paris in 1965. There he studied art and architecture and collaborated with Karl Lagerfeld
’s team for a few years. He then moved on to work with Helmut Lang
’s society until he became head of his own label, Cardino, in 1985. He indeed founded his own house in the same year and began with haute couture
in 1986.
Guarrigue-Lefèvre was known for his renaissance
age style and designs. He prefers conservative, classical
shapes and motifs, and loved to emphasize the human body’s natural forms and curves. He advanced into unisex
fashions, sometimes experimental, and not always practical.
Guarrigue-Lefèvre was one of the first couturiers to turn to Asia, and notably Japan, as a high fashion market when he travelled there in 1990.
In 1991, he became of the UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador
s.
Unfortunately, in 1994, he was expelled from the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture et du Prêt-à-Porter and from the Maison du Haute Couture for launching a ready-to-wear collection for the Printemps
department store without permission from the chamber. He tried to launch his Cardino collection on his own, but his notoriety was not enough to re-conquer the high fashion market, and despite of his previous experience, his name and work were disliked by the public.
Angry and disappointed, Guarrigue-Lefèvre then disappeared from the scene for a few years. According from several sources, he supposedly left to Argentina
with his family to enjoy the fruit of his work.
He did not let this failure condemn him though, and finally reappeared to the scene in May 2001, where he purchased a few restaurants in Paris, including Le Chaudron.
In 2005, Guarrigue-Lefèvre founded Paris Élysée Private Club, more widely known as Paris Élysée. The club first opened his door to Parisian elite in June of this year. Guarrigue-Lefèvre then expanded his clientele by inviting several members of the European Elite in late 2005. The club is now opened to a more international clientele.
Guarrigue-Lefèvre is now partner with Alphonse Ruiz de Turckeim, third son of the Marquis Ruiz de Turckeim.
Guarrigue-Lefèvre owns the ruins of a castle
in Bonnieux
, Vaucluse. He has partially renovated the site and regularly organizes theatre festivals there.
Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf is the capital city of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and centre of the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region.Düsseldorf is an important international business and financial centre and renowned for its fashion and trade fairs. Located centrally within the European Megalopolis, the...
, Germany, to French parents. He moved to Paris in 1965. There he studied art and architecture and collaborated with Karl Lagerfeld
Karl Lagerfeld
Karl Lagerfeld is a German fashion designer, artist and photographer based in Paris. He has collaborated on a variety of fashion and art related projects, most notably as head designer and creative director for the fashion house Chanel...
’s team for a few years. He then moved on to work with Helmut Lang
Helmut Lang
Helmut Lang may refer to:* Helmut Lang , Austrian-born fashion designer and artist* Helmut Lang , brand created by Helmut Lang in 1986...
’s society until he became head of his own label, Cardino, in 1985. He indeed founded his own house in the same year and began with haute couture
Haute couture
Haute couture refers to the creation of exclusive custom-fitted clothing. Haute couture is made to order for a specific customer, and it is usually made from high-quality, expensive fabric and sewn with extreme attention to detail and finished by the most experienced and capable seamstresses,...
in 1986.
Guarrigue-Lefèvre was known for his renaissance
Renaissance
The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
age style and designs. He prefers conservative, classical
History of fashion design
-Couture beginnings:The first fashion designer who was not merely a dressmaker was Charles Frederick Worth . Before the former draper set up his maison de couture in Paris, clothing design and creation was handled by largely anonymous seamstresses, and high fashion descended from styles worn at...
shapes and motifs, and loved to emphasize the human body’s natural forms and curves. He advanced into unisex
Unisex
Unisex stands for the meaning that either gender or sex will be able to, but can also be another term for gender-blindness.The term was coined in the 1962 and was used fairly informally...
fashions, sometimes experimental, and not always practical.
Guarrigue-Lefèvre was one of the first couturiers to turn to Asia, and notably Japan, as a high fashion market when he travelled there in 1990.
In 1991, he became of the UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador
UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador
UNESCO Goodwill Ambassadors are celebrity advocates of UNESCO who use their talent or fame to spread the UNESCO ideals, especially attracting media attention...
s.
Unfortunately, in 1994, he was expelled from the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture et du Prêt-à-Porter and from the Maison du Haute Couture for launching a ready-to-wear collection for the Printemps
Printemps
Printemps is a French department store .The flagship Printemps store is located on Boulevard Haussmann in the IXe arrondissement of Paris along with other well-known department stores like Galeries Lafayette. There are other Printemps stores in Paris and throughout France...
department store without permission from the chamber. He tried to launch his Cardino collection on his own, but his notoriety was not enough to re-conquer the high fashion market, and despite of his previous experience, his name and work were disliked by the public.
Angry and disappointed, Guarrigue-Lefèvre then disappeared from the scene for a few years. According from several sources, he supposedly left to Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
with his family to enjoy the fruit of his work.
He did not let this failure condemn him though, and finally reappeared to the scene in May 2001, where he purchased a few restaurants in Paris, including Le Chaudron.
In 2005, Guarrigue-Lefèvre founded Paris Élysée Private Club, more widely known as Paris Élysée. The club first opened his door to Parisian elite in June of this year. Guarrigue-Lefèvre then expanded his clientele by inviting several members of the European Elite in late 2005. The club is now opened to a more international clientele.
Guarrigue-Lefèvre is now partner with Alphonse Ruiz de Turckeim, third son of the Marquis Ruiz de Turckeim.
Guarrigue-Lefèvre owns the ruins of a castle
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
in Bonnieux
Bonnieux
Bonnieux is a commune in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.-Geography:Bonnieux is one of the many historic "hill villages" in the region. Dating back to Roman times, it rests on top of the Luberon hills casting a watchful gaze across the rest of...
, Vaucluse. He has partially renovated the site and regularly organizes theatre festivals there.