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| Andre Courreges |
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With today's
trends in
design and
fashion increasingly paying homage to the looks of the past, we are reminded of the visionary
French designer,
Andre Courreges. His
unique,
ultra modern looks were an absolute sensation in the
sixties.
An engineer prior to his fashion career, Andre Courreges first worked under Cristobal Balenciaga before starting his own house. His Space Age designs were uncluttered, futuristic, and functional. Clothes made by le Maison de Courreges were sharp, angular, almost aerodynamic. His creations were subject to highly disciplined design.
The looks were very simple, with
clean lines and
sleek construction. The rise of Courrege may have been post
Art Deco, nonetheless, the integrity and simplicity of Art Deco
style find their way into Courreges'
aesthetic. In 1964, Courreges launched his Space Age collection. The shapes he introduced were later imitated by other big name French designers such as Pierre Cardin, and Yves Saint-Laurent.
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| Courrege's Space Age look |
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| Vintage Yves Saint-Laurent |
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| Pierre Cardin Space Age fashion |
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Courreges' collections were built, rather than merely
designed. They featured strong
geometric lines and used
new types of material including vinyl, and even
metal and plastic, creating truly unique looks never before seen in the fashion world.
1964 was the beginning of his reign as the King of Paris Fashion. Courreges was fearless in his fashion. His iconic, futuristic looks experimented with various shapes, that before, would not have been thought of as fashionable. Dubbed by many as the father of the mini-skirt, he elongated the leg by creating the shortest skirts in Paris in icy blues, spectral turquoises, vibrant oranges and greens.
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| Audrey Hephburn in Courrege |
Courrege was heavily influenced by
architectural elements. technology,
modernism, and futurism. His inspirations truly came from a very interesting place, as his shapes can be found in various objects. The bulbous shape of
Audrey Hephburn's hat for example, resemble the shape of this pair of
lamps in our gallery. Click
here to view other lamps in our inventory.
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Pair of Murano Glass Lamps by Mazzega (QQ147)
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Using a clever combination of
shape and
bright colors, Courreges introduced 60's fashion to an extremely
modern and
revolutionary look that was
magical in it's
simplicity. The term Space Age was quickly deployed to describe Courreges' style that utilized stark shapes reminiscent of astronaut suits, creating the "moon-girl" look heavily inspired by futurism.
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| Current Courreges Catalog |
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| Iconic eyewear style of Courreges |
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Courreges' fashion was a revolution in more than one sense. With a background in engineering, Courreges hardened women's fashion, opting to use more industrial type fabrics rather than soft flowing material. Ornamentation was minimal if at all used. Hemlines crept upwards symbolizing liberation for women and showcasing the beauty of youth.
Courreges broke the rules of fashion, by ignoring traditional silhouettes and materials, and bringing a new vision to life instead. The future was Courreges' inspiration. He moved fashion forward and created a style that defined an era for the modern woman, altering the direction of fashion in the 60's towards a more progressive genre.
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| Prada, 2010 |
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| On current Courreges catalog |
Today, elements of Courreges design find their way unto New York and Paris runways. His innovations continue to the inspire houses of Chanel, Prada, and Marc Jacobs, to name a few. With his original vision drawing from the future, Courreges was a brilliant designer ahead of his time, whose influence is still recognized and whose creativity and talent is still used and highly valued.
