Christian Lacroix is a French fashion designer who founded the house that bears his name. Born and raised in Arles, and displaying an early talent for art, Lacroix originally studied art history, with designs on a career as a museum curator. His entrance into fashion would come with a job as an assistant at Hermès, starting in 1978. From there, LaCroix collaborated with the Tokyo Imperial Court on costumes, and eventually found his way to Jean Patou in 1981.
With his feet firmly in the fashion world, LaCroix left in 1986 to launch his own house. His colorful and elaborate designs, often featuring mulitple patterns, elaborate ruffles, poufs and pleats, Lacroix's designs for many are the epitome of the over-the-top fashions of the 1980s. Praised for their beauty, sex appeal and sumptuous fabrics, and criticized at the same time for their impracticality, Lacroix's couture designs managed to make a name for the designer without earning him a lot of money. He expanded into ready-to-wear a year later, along with jewelry, handbags, shoes, glasses, scarves and ties. Lacroix boutiques were opened in Paris, Arles, Aix-en-Provence, Toulouse, London, Geneva and Japan. The designer launched his first menswear collection in 2004, and also served as Creative Director of Pucci from 2002 to 2005.
Christian Lacroix produced his last collection of haute couture in 2009. The company went into administration in 2010 and is now under the direction of Sacha Walckhoff.
Christian Lacroix fragrances were an extension of the designer's colorful, eccentric and over-the-top style, beginning with 1990's C'est La Vie, packaged in an unusual-shaped bottle with a coral branch stopper, in a bright pink box. A series of sea-shell bottles were used for Christian Lacroix for Women, Eau Florale and Eau Florale Bleue. Christian Lacroix fragrances were produced in conjunction with Inter Pafums Inc.
In 2007, the designer also began a partnership with Avon to release a series of perfumes for men and women (Rouge, Noir, Absynthe, Nuit), in vividly-colored bottles stamped with elaborate designs.
