Christian Lacroix
Christian Lacroix was born in Arles, Provence in 1951. He started sketching from a young age, inspired by a local museum dedicated to Provençal culture. He went on to study art history at the University of Montpellier and museum studies at the Sorbonne before entering fashion, first at Hermès, then as artistic director of Jean Patou from 1981 to 1987. He opened his own house in Paris in 1987, backed by Bernard Arnault, and his debut collection caused a sensation. It was the first new couture house to open since Yves Saint Laurent in 1961. His work referenced the 18th-century court, matador jackets, traditional Provençal prints, ecclesiastical embroidery in bright, vivid colours. He revived the pouf skirt and reintroduced the crinoline, and was named most influential foreign designer by the Council of Fashion Designers of America in 1987. The house closed in 2009 and was acquired by Spain's Sociedad Textil Lonia in 2025. Lacroix continued to work as a costume designer for opera, ballet and theatre, including productions at the Paris Opéra Garnier, the Comédie Française and the Metropolitan Opera in New York, alongside interior design projects.