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Courrèges

After Courrèges, nothing was as it was before.Yves Saint-Laurent

How did an airline pilot become the most emblematic couturier of the 20th century, you may ask? The story of Andre Courreges is punctuated by his strokes of genius and his risk-taking, from incredible avant-gardism to his intimate style. Discover a story as brilliant as vinyl on how the fashion troublemaker painted his brand canvas.

Tailor-made Love

Born in 1923, Andre Courreges began studying engineering before becoming a pilot in World War II. After the Liberation in France, he moved to Paris to take a course at the Ecole de la Chambre Syndicale de la Couture and, in 1950, joined the workshop of Cristobal Balenciaga. It was there that his love for fashion blossomed. Between two collections, he fell under the spell of Coqueline Barriere, to whom he would later marry. Together the couple opened their first Fashion House in 1961.

After Courrèges, nothing was as it was before.Yves Saint-Laurent

Fashion for the Future

Four years later, Courreges abandoned Haute Couture for Ready-to-Wear and created the ‘Future Couture’ concept. Through futuristic motifs, the couturier set out to combine sport and science fiction in his designs. He paired the idea of two universes brilliantly, mixing innovation and accuracy, and the Courreges style was born.

Mini-Skirt, Maxi Revolution

Visionnaire and rebellious, Andre Courreges invented one of the most classic pieces of the female wardrobe: the mini-skirt. A garment that will arouse both admiration and criticism. Suppose Chanel accuses the designer of “transforming the woman into a little girl”, Saint-Laurent plebiscites him. So, Courreges shakes up the rulebook and imposes a white stained wardrobe, trapeze dresses, flat boots and innovative materials. So much so, all the it-girls flocked to wear the collections: Francoise Hardy, Romy Schneider, Catherine Deneuve and even the First Lady of France, Claude Pompidou!

Andre Courreges was ahead of his time, playing with creativity and male silhouettes, perfumes, cameras, stationery and even cars where he affixed his signature. He went on to open Café Blanc in the heart of the Parisian golden triangle, Rue Francois 1er.

As mad as he is talented, the designer has left an indelible mark on the fashion world.


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