Guy Laroche, French fashion designer (born in La Rochelle, France, 1921 — died 1989), and founder of the eponymous company. Brief introduction on the history of fashion design and designers Fashion design is the art dedicated to the creation of wearing apparel and lifestyle. ... La Rochelle is a city and commune of western France, and a seaport on the Atlantic Ocean (population 76,584 in 1999). ...

Laroche began his career in millinery and, from 1949, Laroche worked for Jean Desses and eventually became his assistant. 1955, he visited the U.S. to investigate new ready-to-wear manufacturing methods. 1956 or 1957, he founded a high-fashion atelier at 37 avenue Franklin Roosevelt, Paris. In his first collection that was favorably received, he reintroduced vibrant colors such as pink, orange, coral, topaz and turquoise. His clothes also featured plunging neck and back lines. Known as being humble and gracious—as opposed to the haughty nature of most Parisian designers—he designed haute-couture but practical clothing for women. And, for the American market, he was one of the first to create separates. Millinery is womens hats and other articles sold by a milliner, or the profession or business of designing, making, or selling hats for women. ... Jean Desses Jean Desses (August 6, 1904 – August 2, 1970), was a world leading fashion designer in the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s. ... For other uses, see United States (disambiguation) and US (disambiguation). ... This article is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... City flag City coat of arms Motto: Fluctuat nec mergitur (Latin: Tossed by the waves, she does not sink) Location Coordinates Time Zone CET (GMT +1) Administration Country France Région ÃŽle-de-France Département Paris (75) Subdivisions 20 arrondissements Mayor Bertrand Delanoë  (PS) (since 2001) City Statistics Land...

1961, he moved to larger quarters, a townhouse at 29 avenue Montaigne, Paris; opened a boutique there; and introduced his first ready-to-wear collection. Avenue Montaigne, like Bond Street in London, is a street in Paris specialising in high fashion. ...

1966, Laroche introduced Fidji, his first women’s fragrance; designed men's ready-to-wear; and opened the Guy Laroche Monsieur boutique. There were other fragrances: 1977 J'ai Oise, 1982 Drakkar Noir toilette water for men, 1986 Clandestine and 1993 Horizon men's cologne.

Five years after Laroche’s death, Michel Klein (b. 1959) became the head designer in 1994. (An autodidact, Klein sold sketches of prints to Yves Saint-Laurent at age 15, was an assistant at Dorothée Bis at age 17, and has designed for his own ready-to-wear label since 1981.) Autodidacticism (also autodidactism) is self-education or self-directed learning. ... The Yves Saint Laurent boutique on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, California. ...

1997, Alber Elbaz, formerly an assistant to Geoffrey Beene, worked at Laroche. But, by this time, the enterprise had become overly conservative and lackluster. Even so, Elbaz assisted in updating the collection and somewhat enhanced the image of the firm, whose activities then included the management of 15 boutiques and 70 license agreements worldwide. (Today, the licenses number 87.) This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Geoffrey Beene (August 30, 1927 - September 28, 2004) was a great American fashion designer. ...

In the mid-1990s, Klein helped the firm to make the transition from haute couture to couture ready-to-wear, a vaguely defined fashion category possibly indicating expensive off-the-rack clothing. Klein explains, “Fashion is no longer their [rich women's] prime concern; they are no longer prepared to wait for three fittings to have their clothes, nor to spend the same amounts of money as before. Clothes have to be adapted to their needs, their way of life and consumption patterns” (interview by Anne Rapin).

September 1, 2004, Hervé L. Leroux (b. Bapaume, France, May 30, 1957) became the artistic director of the House of Guy Laroche and designs the prêt-à-porter collection. (From 1981, Laroux assisted Karl Lagerfeld first at Fendi then Lagerfeld at Chanel. 1985, Laroux established his eponymous label and worked for Maryll Langin at Lanvin haute couture. March 1999, he lost control of his label and, likewise, his name and, 2000, opened a couture and prête-à-porter shop at 32 rue Jacob, Paris, before joining the Guy Laroche organization.)

From 1968, Guy Laroche was part of the Bic Group. Subsequently, Swiss investment group Leman Capital owned the firm which was in turn acquired by YGM Trading Company June 25, 2004. Today, Samuel Chan is the present, and Jean-François Ferrandiz is the general manager.

Citations

• July 1985 Golden Thimble award for 1985 fall-winter collection

• 1987 Chevalier de l'Order de la Légion d'Honneur, from Jacques Chirac, the mayor of Paris

• January 1989 Golden Thimble award for 1989 spring-summer collection

Chiang Kai-sheks Légion dhonneur. ... Jacques René Chirac (born November 29, 1932 in Paris) is a French politician and the current President of the French Republic. ...

Reference

• Anne Rapin (March 1996). "Interview with Fashion Designer Michel Klein", Label France magazine, No. 23, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, France