French fashion designer Andre Courreges, symbol of a futuristic style revolution in the 1960s and synonymous with mini-skirts and little white boots, has died at the age of 92. "Clothes should escape from conventions," Courreges once said. Fashion, he thought, should be "a way of life". Born on March 9, 1923 in the southern French city of Pau, Courreges was a radical force in 1960s fashion, helping to define a new sort of independence for women with space-age styles that became icons of a generation.
Courreges initially studied and worked as a civil engineer before switching to fashion and spending a decade working for designer Cristobal Balenciaga. He formed his own label in 1961, and it was a collection three years later that thrust him into the spotlight and made him, for a short but significant while, the king of French fashion.
Angular mini dresses and trouser suits in stark black-and-white colour schemes were combined with goggles and helmets taken from astronauts that became known as the Moon Girl look. He was a pioneer of formal trousers for women and a long and bitter dispute continues over whether he was first to popularise the miniskirt ahead of British designer Mary Quant.
His little white dress became an enduring image of the Swinging Sixties, and regardless of who came first, his miniskirts were widely accepted to be the shortest, and designed in eye-popping colours and heavy materials such as gabardine that became hugely popular. Courreges also took the bold step of replacing high heels with his famed flat white boots.
His futuristic style - often with lots of metal - was a particular hit with artist Andy Warhol. "Courreges clothes are so beautiful, everyone should look the same, dressed in silver. Silver merges into everything, costumes should be worn during the day with lots of make-up," Warhol once said. Courreges, who stopped working in the 1990s, passed away on Thursday after a 30-year battle with Parkinson's disease, the Maison de Courreges said in a statement.
Comments
Comments are closed.