FASHION DESIGNER CHRISTIAN LACROIX WAS BORN ON MAY 16, 1951 IN ARLES, FRANCE, UNDER THE HIGHLY SYMBOLIC SIGN OF TAURUS.
HE SPENT HIS SOLITARY CHILDHOOD BETWEEN THE CAMARGUE BEACHES AND THE ALPILLES PINE FORESTS, AMONGST THE GALLO-ROMAN RUINS, ATTENDING BULLFIGHTING EVENTS AND THEATER OR OPERA FESTIVALS, IMMERSED IN BOTH PROVENCAL AND GYPSY TRADITIONS AND ENJOYING MUSEUM PAINTINGS AND ATTIC BOOKS.
DURING IS ADOLECENCE, HE DISCOVERED A PASSION FOR OSCAR WILDE AND THE BEATLES’ ENGLAND AS WELL AS BARCELONA AND VENICE. HE LATER STUDIED ART HISTORY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MONTPELLIER. IN 1973, HE CONTINUED HIS STUDIES IN PARIS AT BOTH THE SORBONNE AND THE ECOLE DE LOUVRE, WITH AMBITION TO BECOME A MUSEUM CURATOR.
HE THEN MET INDIVIDUALS THAT WOULD INFLUENCE HIS DESTINY: FRANCOISE, HIS FUTURE WIFE, WHO INTRODUCED HIM TO THE SECRETS OF PARIS AND ENCOURAGED HIM TO DRAW; JEAN-JACQUES PICART, A PRESS ATTACHE AND ADVISOR TO SEVERAL DESIGNERS AND HAUTE COUTURE HOUSES, WHO FOUND HIM A JOB AT HERMES IN 1978, THEN WITH GUY PAULIN IN 1980.
IN 1981, HE BEGAN WORKING AT THE JEAN PATOU HOUSE. HERE, IN COLLABORATION WITH JEAN-JACQUES PICART, HE TOOK UP THE CHALLENGE OF HAUTE COUTURE, A PROFESSION THAT CERTAIN INDIVIDUALS CLAIMED TO BE ON THE DECLINE. SEASON AFTER SEASON, THE TWO DESIGNERS SUCCEEDED IN DEFINIG THE 1980’s WITH THEIR BRIGHT COLOURS, EXTRAVAGANCE AND LUXURIANCE. IN 1986, THEIR WORK WAS AWARDED FOR THE MOST INFLUENCIAL FOREIGN DESIGNER, GIVEN BY THE CFDA IN NEW YORK IN JANUARY 1987.
IN OCTOBER 2002, TOGETHER WITH THE PRESENTATION OF SPRING-SUMMER 2003 COLLECTIONS AND THE CELEBRATION OF THE 15th ANNIVERSARY OF THE COUTURE HOUSE, CHRISTIAN LACROIX RECEIVED THE INSIGNIA OF CHEVALIER DE LA LEGION D’HONNEUR FROM MR.BERNARD ARNAULT, CHAIRMAN OF LVMH.

THE CHRISTIAN LACROIX HOUSE

AT THE SAME TIME CHRISTIAN LACROIX MET BERNARD ARNAULT, WHO FOUNDED THE HOUSE OF CHRISTIAN LACROIX, WHICH IS LOCATED IN A PRIVATE MANSION AT 73, RUE DU FAUBOURG SAINT HONORÉ IN PARIS. THE FIRST COLLECTION, IN JULY 1987, HIGHLIGHTED ECCENTRICITY IN OPPOSITION TO THE MINIMALISM THAT WAS THEN IN STYLE. THE SECOND COLLECTION, IN JANUARY 1988, WAS AWARDED A DÉ D’OR.
IN MARCH, 1988, CHRISTIAN LACROIX CREATED HIS FIRST READY-TO-WEAR COLLECTION, DRAWING HIS INSPIRATION FROM DIVERSE CULTURES.
1989 WAS CHARACTERIZED BY HIS FIRST LINE OF ACCESSORIES(JEWLRY, HANDBAGS, SHOES, GLASSES, SCARVES AND TIES) AS WELL AS THE OPENING OF BOUTIQUES IN PARIS, ARLES, AIX-EN-PROVENCE, TOULOUSE, LONDON, GENEVA AND JAPAN.
IN 1994, CHRISTIAN LACROIX CREATED HIS “BAZAR” LINE, IN ADDITION TO BOTH HIS READY-TO-WEAR AND COUTURE LINES, A COLLECTION BASED MORE THAN ANY OTHER ON FOLCLORE AND HISTORICAL TIME PERIODS.
1995 SEES THE LAUNCH OF THE CHRISTIAN LACROIX LINEN AND TOWEL COLLECTION, DESIGNED IN THE SAME SPIRIT, ACCORDING TO WHICH FASHION AND LIFESTYLE ARE TWO SIDES OF THE SAME COIN.
1996 CREATION OF THE “JEANS” LINE: A COLLECTION THAT EMBRACES THE PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE AND WAS INSPIRED FROM POPULAR AND ETHNIC ARTS AND TRADITIONS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD.
1997 CREATION OF THE CHRISTIAN LACROIX “ART DE LA TABLE” COLLECTION IN COLLABORATION WITH THE CHRISTOFLE HOUSE.
THIS SAME YEAR, HE SIGNED A LICENCING AGREEMENT WITH PRONUPTIA FOR THE MANUFACTURE AND DISTRIBUTION OF HIS “CHRISTIAN LACROIX MARIÉE” LINE.
1999 LAUNCH OF THE “CHRISTIAN LACROIX” PERFUME
2000 LAUNCH OF A SILVER AND SEMIPRECIOUS STONE JEWLRY LINE, WHICH COMPLETED HIS NOVELTY ACCESSORIES.
2001 A “CHRISTIAN LACROIX CHILDREN’S WEAR” LINE WAS LAUNCHED.
2002 LAUNCH OF THE “BAZAR’ PERFUME FOR MEN AND WOMEN.
2002 CHRISTIAN LACROIX IS APPOINTED ARTISTIC DIRECTOR OF THE FLORENTINE FASHION HOUSE EMILIO PUCCI(STARTING AT THE MILAN FASHION WEEK IN OCTOBER 2002).
TODAY, THE CHRISTIAN LACROIX HOUSE BOASTS APPROXIMATELY 35 POINTS OF SALE IN FRANCE.
CHRISTIAN LACROIX FASHION PRODUCTS AND BRANDS ARE SOLD IN OVER 1000 POINTS OF SALE THROUGHOUT THE WORLD.