The theatre of fashion

Born in Arles in 1951, designer Christian Lacroix took an interest in historical costumes from a young age, going on to study history of art at the University of Montpellier and later museum studies at the École de Louvre. Lacroix started his career as an illustrator at Hermès and then went on to work as an assistant to Guy Paulin. In 1981, he joined the Paris brand Maison Patou as chief designer of haute couture. By 1987, he had established his own fashion house. Lacroix transformed catwalks into stage productions with his flamboyant and theatrical designs revolutionising the Paris couture scene. From 2002 to 2005 Lacroix was Creative Director for the Italian fashion house Emilio Pucci. Lacroix’s fashion journey came to an end in 2009 when he left his fashion house and looked towards his other great interests – art, interior design, opera, ballet, theatre – cultivating his fascination with the past.