The greatest fashion houses with the most in-demand haute couture, like Chanel, Yves Saint Laurent, Louis Vuitton, or Jean-Paul Gaultier, are from the French capital. These handpicked French designers, whose creations range from ready-to-wear to haute couture, have significantly influenced the global fashion scene throughout the years.
Christian Dior
Born in 1905, in the French Normandy’s Granville, at forty-one, Christian Dior launched his couture firm in October 1946. Dior’s singular passion during the postwar era of hardship and rationing was to enable women to regain joy, grace, and beauty. The House of Dior was founded in Paris on December 16, 1946, at 30 Avenue Montaigne.
Christian Dior’s debut collection, “La Ligne Corolie,” means “New look”, debuted in 1947. A huge hit, the New Look altered the post-World War II fashion landscape. In the 1940s, styles like rounded shoulders, a tight waist, and a long A-line skirt were groundbreaking. From 1947 to 1957, Christian Dior transformed the standards of femininity and elegance in just ten years. His name became a global symbol of French elegance with its graceful lining.
Chanel
Coco Chanel became a style icon in the 1920s when her understated yet elegant ensembles were accessorized with fabulous accessories. She debuted the Chanel suit in 1925, the little black dress in 1926, and the perfume Chanel No. 5.
Her creation, the Chanel Bag 2.55, became an international sensation in 1955. She was looking for a long-strapped, functional handbag designed for women on the go. Currently, this purse is among the most recognizable fashion purses ever made. The creator of the infamous “The Little Black Dress” is Coco Chanel.
Louis Vuitton
Louis Vuitton, then 16 years old, came to Paris in 1837 and began working as an apprentice trunk master for Monsieur Maréchal, a position he held for 17 years. Napoleon III’s wife, Eugenie de Montijo, employed Louis Vuitton as her packer and box maker in 1852 when her husband was crowned Emperor of France. In 1854, Louis established his factory in Paris at 4 Rue Neuve-des-Capucines, close to the Place Vendome, where he made boxes and packed goods. His company grew in popularity in 1858 when rectangular trunks were introduced. Furthermore, Louis grew his company in 1859 by opening a second workshop in Asnieres, a hamlet west of Paris.
Georges, the son of Louis Vuitton, grew the company throughout the 1900s by launching two new bags: the Keepall in 1930 and the Speedy in 1932. Even now, purses like Papillon, Alma, and Noé remain legendary.
