Yet, significantly, an Armani Prive couture line was created to add prestige and a direct link with celebrity clients.
The loss of Christian Lacroix to Paris haute couture is immeasurable. Although the designer hopes to hold a small presentation during the July couture season, this was the last house established under the formal couture rules. Even a restructuring would most likely have severe implications for the 125-member staff.
The grandeur of the couturier’s work was displayed last month in the sumptuous gown created for Philomena de Tornos, the bride of Jean de France, Duc de Vendome, a descendant of the French royal dynasty.
But just as royalty now has less attention than celebrity, so couture has lost its unique prestige, with the word bandied about by any high-end designer. And whereas fragrances produced from the mystique of haute couture once kept the houses afloat, now it is just as likely that a hip jeans brand like Diesel or a celebrity like Jennifer Lopez will have the perfume hit that has stubbornly eluded Lacroix.
Lacroix, who received the Chevalier de la Legion d’Honneur in 2002, for services to fashion, has other strings to his bow, apart from his colorful and sophisticated collections. He was the creative director for Emilio Pucci, the Italian fashion house, from 2002 to 2005, while he was still within the LVMH group.
He also has his own XCLX company, for which he has created decor for the French TGV high-speed train, as well as hotel interiors and uniforms for Air France. He has also designed for theater, opera and dance and acted as curator for fashion exhibits, including one currently at the National Museum of Singapore.
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