Louis Feraud
Encyclopedia
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.
The early 1960s saw Louis Féraud hire the young unknown designers Jean-Louis Scherrer, Margit Brandt and Per Spook.
In 1970 he signed a contract with Fink (Germany) for a ladies' prêt-à-porter (ready-to-wear) collection. The year 1978 was an excellent one for Féraud: he won the "Golden Thimble Award" for his Spring/Summer 1978 Haute Couture Collection. He went on to claim this accolade again in 1984.
Adding to his growing collection of honours Louis Féraud was elected Prince de l'Art de Vivre in 1991. In 1995 he was decorated Officier de la Légion d'honneur
, by the French President. His daughter Kiki signed her first Haute Couture collection in with Féraud in 1996. The head Haute Couture designer throughout the 70s,80s, 90s remained the Icelandic designer Helga Bjornsson, known for her theatrical and innovative style. In September 1999 the Dutch group Secon acquired Féraud. He died that December, aged 79 after a long and severe battle with Alzeihmers.
The year 2000 saw Yvan Mispelaere join the group as artistic director and that July witnessed his first Haute Couture fashion show in "Musée des Monuments Français" in Paris. In 2002 the German Group ESCADA took 90% of the Féraud shares and Yvan Mispelaere left the company. Later that year Féraud decided to concentrate its activities on ladies' ready-to-wear and licences with Jean-Paul Knott selected as Creative Director for the luxury ready-to-wear market.
In 2003 Jean-Paul Knott left Féraud and that July the worldwide flagship store opened in Paris at 400 rue Saint-Honoré.
In 1950, Louis Féraud created his first "Maison de Couture" in Cannes
Cannes
Cannes is one of the best-known cities of the French Riviera, a busy tourist destination and host of the annual Cannes Film Festival. It is a Commune of France in the Alpes-Maritimes department....
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
Brigitte Bardot
Brigitte Anne-Marie Bardot is a French former fashion model, actress, singer and animal rights activist. She was one of the best-known sex-symbols of the 1960s.In her early life, Bardot was an aspiring ballet dancer...
for many of her movies. It wasn't however until 1958 that he presented his first 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,...
collection in Paris.
The early 1960s saw Louis Féraud hire the young unknown designers Jean-Louis Scherrer, Margit Brandt and Per Spook.
In 1970 he signed a contract with Fink (Germany) for a ladies' prêt-à-porter (ready-to-wear) collection. The year 1978 was an excellent one for Féraud: he won the "Golden Thimble Award" for his Spring/Summer 1978 Haute Couture Collection. He went on to claim this accolade again in 1984.
Adding to his growing collection of honours Louis Féraud was elected Prince de l'Art de Vivre in 1991. In 1995 he was decorated Officier de la Légion d'honneur
Légion d'honneur
The Legion of Honour, or in full the National Order of the Legion of Honour is a French order established by Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of the Consulat which succeeded to the First Republic, on 19 May 1802...
, by the French President. His daughter Kiki signed her first Haute Couture collection in with Féraud in 1996. The head Haute Couture designer throughout the 70s,80s, 90s remained the Icelandic designer Helga Bjornsson, known for her theatrical and innovative style. In September 1999 the Dutch group Secon acquired Féraud. He died that December, aged 79 after a long and severe battle with Alzeihmers.
The year 2000 saw Yvan Mispelaere join the group as artistic director and that July witnessed his first Haute Couture fashion show in "Musée des Monuments Français" in Paris. In 2002 the German Group ESCADA took 90% of the Féraud shares and Yvan Mispelaere left the company. Later that year Féraud decided to concentrate its activities on ladies' ready-to-wear and licences with Jean-Paul Knott selected as Creative Director for the luxury ready-to-wear market.
In 2003 Jean-Paul Knott left Féraud and that July the worldwide flagship store opened in Paris at 400 rue Saint-Honoré.